Steel Swallow, Copper Phoenix
by Sianascera
Summary: A political marriage with the firstborn son of the Teikou clan is what is supposed to make the rebellious family finally fall in line. But what Akashi Seijuro, 24th Emperor of the Rakuzan line, gets with Kuroko Tetsuya is not at all what he bargained for. It might be just what he needs though. In the midst of lies and intrigues, will these two find their way to each other?
1. The Sound of May Bells

A bit of warning ahead. This will contain dubious and non-con at some point, so if that is not your cup of tea, you should better not pick this up.  
>Secondly, while I originally wanted to set this in a close approximation of either Japanese or Chinese history, I found that neither was fit for what I have planned for this story. So I opted for a setting that is a very liberal blend of Chinese, Japanese and European history and culture. I took a lot of artistic license there. I did try to keep continuity, so it shouldn't be too bad.<br>Lastly, this won't have regular updates, as I do have a substantial amount written already, but a lot of that are bits and pieces that haven't been connected to the main storyline yet. Also I find it rather hard to find the right narrative tone for this one, so writing and subsequential editing go very slow.  
>Other than that, I hope you enjoy this.<p>

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><p>When he had woken up this morning Kuroko Tetsuya had been little more than the exiled son of a Lord, the night will see him as consort and Queen to the most powerful man on the continent. Tetsuya supposes that's not an everyday occurrence, which does remarkably little to lift his spirits. This isn't a place he wants to be; it's just another iteration of the prison of his birthright.<p>

A prison he is certain to break out off eventually. Everything is still covered by his calculations after all.

He won't meet the Emperor and future husband before the actual ceremony, but that's alright as well. It's not a marriage that's supposed to last. One way or another.

Tetsuya allows himself a sigh. It's an oddly loud sound in the confined silence of his palanquin. The outside world is muted, although all that separates them is a thin strip of cloth.

And a line of palace guards, who allow looks at the gently swaying palanquin, but no more. He's a treasure for the Emperor's eyes alone.

Every Emperor needs a Queen, not for blood, not for power, but merely for a noble name. It's the Queen that cements succession. As long as the Emperor is the father, any child can become heir when the adoptive mother is of noble blood.

And somewhere along the way, people stopped caring if the 'mother' was male or female.

It allows his role in this, but Tetsuya has left little more than contempt for the twisted games of noble boredom and ambition that led to the deadlocked rule system antiquated values and morales they're stuck in now. Schemes and Secrets wrapped in tradition.

Tetsuya is tired, despite having barely moved for most of the day. But he had to rise early, getting prepared for a marriage he doesn't want. Even before the actual ceremony, there are countless traditions to be honored, rituals to be followed. He's dressed in white silk, wide sleeved and flowing, like the folds of a rose, some long lost metaphor eternalized in the stones of tradition.

_Tradition._

Tetsuya hates the word to his bones.

Tradition is the material his shackles are forged from; tradition is the reason he doesn't remember his mother's face.

His hair is too short for the traditional hair style, so he's left with one single hairpin adorned with a white lily for purity. Flower symbolism is a central theme of the ceremonies, every flower has its own meaning and white lilies are the go to symbol for virginal brides.

Not that the actual state of his virginity matters.

The robe is heavy, layers and layers of silk and Tetsuya is astonished how a fabric so light can pile up such a mass of uncomfortable weight. But he's not supposed to move much anyway, in his slowly swaying palanquin.

The air is filled with the chimes of bells and as they progress Tetsuya can hear the constant thrum of drums. Even in his enclosed space, the air is heavy with incense and it wakes memories, Tetsuya has spent years to bury. But the emotions have dulled over the years. Still, it's disheartening and Tetsuya doesn't wish for the first time that the day was already over.

It's warm and stuffy inside, and Tetsuya wants nothing more than to pull off his robes. All he has is a fan, his family's crest on brittle silk paper. The seal with its dark colors stands out starkly against the rest of his white getup. As loath as the crest is to him, with all it represents, the fan does remind him of the gentler parts of his home.

A breeze picks up but fails to do more than to rustle the curtains securely tied in place. It reminds Tetsuya that, if tradition holds true, he will never see the outside world again. A prisoner or a Queen, the difference is often negligible.

And Tetsuya knows that he is little more than the price for silence.

The bells and drums are joined by other instruments now, zithers and cymbals and the high wailing of an erhu. The sounds are supposed to inspire awe, but all they do is induce a headache. The incense isn't helping either and Tetsuya is glad, for a change, for the long sleeve of his robe. He covers his mouth and closes his eyes, deep breaths against faintly peach scented silk fabric.

It helps at least a little.

The character of the ambient sounds changes, from muffled cheers and music to a form of muted silence that hints at a closed off space; they must have reached the palace walls. Tetsuya doesn't get to see the transition that will inexorably separate him from his old life.

There are voices now, distinct and closer than the murmur of the crowds. The palanquin sways to a halt before it's lowered to the ground. They've reached their destination, somewhere inside the palace, from where he is to take the first steps on his new path.

The doors to the palanquin are pulled open and Tetsuya finds himself face to face with a man he doesn't know. Not that he expected anything different. The man takes longer than he should to focus his attention on Tetsuya and when he does; his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. He recovers quick enough though and offers his hand for Tetsuya to disembark. He wears white gloves and he makes a point not to meet Tetsuya's eyes.

He's unremarkable enough, so Tetsuya puts his attention elsewhere.

The world that greets him is a buzzing beehive in the disguise of a human dwelling. They're in a large room with high ceilings and overdone decorations. The Imperial palace is an old building, full of history and filled with the tastes of a hundred different men. Tetsuya has never seen it before, but it's easy to believe now. This room does hold testimony to a time long past, when gold was cheap and abundant in the Empire's mines. Everything is lavishly decorated in a redundant display of wealth. It doesn't help at all with his headache.

"Welcome Kuroko-dono." He's greeted by a different man, the other one has disappeared somewhere in the endless reflections of light on polished gold. The man he's facing now is smiling, no he's actually _grinning_ at him, and then he bows, flourished and with little finesse to the smaller distinctions of rank. His eyes are as golden as his hair and he seems to suffer from no small amount of over enthusiasm.

He wears the dark gray uniform with burgundy trimmings that identify him as one of the Emperor's personal guards. A prestigious and powerful title, given only to those who possess the absolute rust of the Emperor. They do after all directly represent the Emperor's will.

Tetsuya nods in greeting, the motion perfectly measured. It's difficult to maneuver through all the rules and regulations defining ranks and appropriate responses but Tetsuya has spent a very long time observing, and learning. Either way, the man doesn't look as though he even notices.

He flashes another grin, amiable and so overly friendly it's almost intimate. Tetsuya absently notes the single silver earring on his left ear. His grin slowly slips from his face when Tetsuya gives no response and finally he seems to catch on.

"My name is Kise Ryouta. I am pleased to meet you." He says, and most of the flourish has left him. He almost seems embarrassed. "Sorry about that." He grins again, but this time it's on the side of boyishly awkward and Tetsuya notes down the reaction for later use. So far the man seems to have no mal intentions whatsoever and Tetsuya sure hopes it's not an elaborate façade. But Kise's face is so honest in his dejection and awkward embarrassment; it's hard not to believe him.

His face suddenly falls even more and he hastily bows. "I mean, my humblest apologies Kuroko-dono." He falters and his resemblance to a lost puppy almost makes Tetsuya take pity on him. But this is a strange place to him, and he's currently more occupied with getting a bearing on it than providing comfort. Even with Kise pulling most of the attention, there is still so much going on in this room.

"Kise." A voice chides and Kise tenses at the sound of it.

"Please excuse my rude colleague, your highness. " The man that approaches them makes it sound like he's reading the lines from a textbook, all very formal little sincerity. His bow is curt, precisely executed as though he measured it. He's trimmed primly, hair an odd shade of green and his eyes are obscured by a pair of spectacles. The spectacles alone are worth a fortune, the art of cutting lenses is an expensive one, but that is all shadowed by the tasteless cat figurine in his hands. The fingers of his left hand are bandaged. He wears a similar uniform than Kise, only slightly different in cut and style. But it's the colors that determine rank, dark gray and burgundy and a golden chrysanthemum emblazoned on the front.

Tetsuya doesn't miss the minute flick of disapproval when the newcomer spots the fan in his hands.

"My name is Midorima Shintarou, if you would please follow me." He bows again and turns, without waiting for a reply. He manages to come off as much ruder than Kise, despite sticking tightly to protocol.

"He's always like that, don't mind him." Kise says with another easygoing smile, his earlier blunder obviously forgotten and Tetsuya decides to just take it at face value. He has other worries right now. Still, he can't forget what Aida had said to him, before their departure. So he tries a smile, as unfamiliar as it feels on his face, it does light up Kise to the point of glowing.

He needs all the allies he can get. Even if it's only good will.

Midorima has reached a door at the far end and is now waiting impatiently for Kise and Tetsuya to follow. The many servants buzzing around in the room bow when he passes, but other than that they are too fixed on their tasks. Preparations for the upcoming celebration as it seems, and Tetsuya wonders if he should take offense that he was received amidst their presence. For the outside world he is an untouchable god, within these walls he's an unwanted element.

That's alright, he thinks. It bears no relevance to his plans.

Tetsuya reaches the door and hesitates.

It is time.

Tetsuya tightens the hold on the fan in his hands, the last anchor to the life he's left behind.

Somewhere in another place and time, May bells chime their sweet and poisonous song.


	2. A Sea of Red

**A/N: **Happy Birthday Akashi Seijuro!

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><p>Akashi Seijuro, twenty-fourth Emperor of the Rakuzan line watches the arrival of his bride from a hidden balcony. He wants to get his own impression of the man who is about to be his consort.<p>

Kuroko Tetsuya isn't much for the eye. Drowned in too much white he almost seems to disappear, but what he lacks in appearance, he makes up for in presence - or rather, lack thereof. It's not just the overbearing outfit, it's the man himself. But that's about the only interesting thing about him, and limited in its noteworthiness, as he isn't about to enter Seijuro's services as a spy.

Physically Kuroko is no match for him. They're similar in height, but where Seijuro has a lean yet firm built, Kuroko is thin to the point of scrawny. Most of his mass seems to come from his gown and Seijuro has the impression he's about to be crushed by its weight.

An end he would very much appreciate right now.

He is the Emperor, his word is absolute, but even he must bow to the ancient rules of tradition. And tradition dictates he take a wife before his 25th birthday, or else he forfeits his right to the throne. It's still two years until then, but this proposal didn't come without reason. And, Seijuro can't deny the use Tetsuya might ultimately have for him.

The Teikou clan is a prestigious family, rich and powerful, but their bond to the Empire is loose. Their lands have never been conquered and their only ties to the Empire lie in the bonds of ancient marriages. Their blood is intermingled with the Rakuzan line, but their loyalties have never been unambiguous. It wouldn't be the first Teikou child offered to buy some measure of good will.

And it certainly is not the first child that is sacrificed for their family's ambition.

Seijuro he has a palace full of concubines, sons and daughters offered to him in the hopes of winning his favor, in the hopes he'd accept their hands in marriage. He didn't, and now their lives are spent behind the rose infested walls of the forbidden palace.

But, Seijuro thinks, as he watches the subtle shift of Kuroko's presence, this man might be of more use to him than originally expected.

"The preparations are complete Aka-chin." Atsushi appears in the doorframe, a plate of sweet manjus in hands, half of which have already been eaten. For once Seijuro doesn't reprimand him.

Seijuro nods, but Atsushi remains in his doorframe. He doesn't say anything, but Seijuro knows just as well what he's trying to tell him. The robes he's supposed to wear for his wedding lie untouched on his bed and so far Seijuro has made little attempt to put it on. He's sent the menservants away, he tolerates them on the best of his days but with the excitement of a wedding at hand, he can't stand their presence.

None of this, he owes a justification for to Atsushi, though. Seijuro turns his attention to the documents spread out on the table.

"Mido-chin will have a fit." Atsushi comments eventually.

"Let him have it." Seijuro says. It is in his power to stop this wedding; it would serve his subjects well to remember that. Atsushi just gives him a very eloquent look, but saves his breath for his food.

"Don't worry Atsushi." Seijuro says with a sardonic smile. He leaves it at that and Atsushi accepts it with a casual shrug. If Seijuro says not to worry, there is no reason to worry. As simple as that. That's probably why Shintarou sent Atsushi ahead, anyone else would have only frayed his nerves.

A knock on the door alerts them to Shintarou's presence. He is wearing an impressive scowl that only deepens he sees the untouched wedding garment on Seijuro's bed. "Five minutes, Akashi." He informs him and Seijuro sighs. "Don't touch anything with those hands." He reprimands Atsushi in the same breath. He might have a habit of nagging, but Shintarou has an unmatched eye for detail. A quality that Seijuro values quite a lot, which is about the main reason he tolerates some of Shintarou's quirkier personality traits.

Shintarou ascertains with a glance if Seijuro is going to adhere to his words and then, obviously satisfied, turns around to leave.

"Don't worry Aka-chin." Atsushi says, once he's gone. "I'll crush anyone in your way." He says it almost lightheartedly, but Seijuro knows he's perfectly serious.

"I know." He says with a smile and Atsushi takes that as his cue to leave him alone. His outfit is not a complicated one, not compared to that of his bride, and with the help of his menservants, it takes less than the allocated five minutes to put it on. It comes closer to a suit than a robe, heavy red brocade, adorned with the image of a dragon stitched in golden thread. It's stiff and uncomfortable, but so is this whole ordeal.

His menservants work in complete silence, their tongues have been removed when they entered his service. It's an archaic custom, but for once one that Akashi agrees with. It does pay to have certain people's silence ensured.

Shintarou reappears a moment later, now in ceremonial uniform, fingers no longer wrapped up in protective bandages. He is bleeding with tension, but Seijuro knows him for one whose true abilities only ever come up under pressure.

The rest of his personal guard is waiting outside of his room, all in their ceremonial uniforms, with varying states of enthusiasm.

"Ryouta. Shintarou. Daiki. Atsushi." Seijuro takes a moment to look at each of them. His trust in them is absolute; they have proven both their worth and capability. They're the men closest to him, probably the only people he can and does call friends. They're not jus his personal guards, but also function as advisors to the throne. In his absence their word is his. "Let's get this over with."

"Right, there's a new move I want to try out." Daiki says, not one to ever mince his words or hide his true opinion.

"Try not to break the practice dummies this time." Shintarou says with a sigh. He's abandoned his lucky item for the day, and he's less than happy about the fact.

"Don't worry, I'll use Kise."

"What? Why Aominecchi? Aren't we friends?" Ryouta skips over to Daiki and latches onto his arm. Daiki swats at him, annoyed, but he doesn't put true effort into shaking Ryouta off.

The familiarity of their banter inadvertently relaxes Seijuro.

In the grand scheme of things, Kuroko Tetsuya is inconsequential. He is just another whore that is sold for his favor, just another pawn to be sacrificed for ambition.

And as such, Seijuro intends to use him until his worth has run its course.

The air is incense-heavy, enough to feel suffocating, even without the heavy memories to go with it. Tetsuya has gone through a ritual washing and two wardrobe changes. Swallows chase each others tails now, on the otherwise perfectly unblemished white of his robes. And the main part hasn't even started.

Midorima had left shortly after guiding him to the bathhouse, but Kise had stayed with him until shortly before the ceremony. Now he's under the care of three servants dressed in pigeon blue and stoic silence and it's a huge relief compared to Kise's endless attempts at cheering him up. Tetsuya does appreciate it, but his energy is simply depleted. At least the blue of their robes offers a welcoming reprieve from the overbearing presence of Imperial red - a color that still reminds him of death.

The room is small, thankfully; ancient wood dyed an even more ancient red, and in the middle thrones the shrine that pays homage to the Rakuzan family gods. A few monks and one fat bald priest are busy wafting incense around and Tetsuya makes use of his overlong sleeve once again. One of his servants/guards makes a chirping sound, clearly displeased by Tetsuya's lack of decorum, but he soundly ignores him.

They are waiting in a hidden alcove to the side, granting him a full view of the shrine's insides, without being seen himself. He appreciates the position for the chance to observe everything, not that there is much to observe right now.

Suddenly Tetsuya misses Kise's endless chatter. If nothing else, it gave him something to focus on. It was hard to get a read on Kise. He's mostly sure that his amiability was genuine. Kise doesn't seem like he has enough presence of mind to pull off an elaborate ploy like that. But Tetsuya could have read him wrong and there was a decided hint of forcedness to his behavior. As though he was trying too hard and too much all at once.

Tetsuya can't blame him. He has no illusions about being welcome here. Kise might have felt compelled to fake his friendliness, but that was most likely owed by his naturally sociable personality. Akashi Seijuro will likely not show the same courtesy.

He has no reason to belief Akashi Seijuro actually wants him here, if anything he's heard about him holds true. But that just means their desire for his presence in this palace equals up. But that's not entirely true. Tetsuya doesn't want to be here, but what he _wants_ requires him to be here.

He draws strength from that thought.

The priest is finished with the purification. He gives one of his monks a sign and he makes his way out of the door. The ceremony will begin soon_._ Tetsuya braces himself.

His robes are no longer silk but multilayered brocade, a deep crimson color and he's sweating furiously underneath. He wears a heavy headpiece made from lacquered wood and adorned with overdone bird imagery. The attached pearl strings get into his eyes constantly and Tetsuya is a hairbreadth away of just tearing them off.

People file into the room now, a procession of ministers and dignitaries, in order of their rank. Tetsuya's eyes trail over the insignias that signify their position. Hours of studying supplying him with names and histories. He sorts them into foes and possible allies more by habit than necessity. In truth, none of them could ever be his ally. He wouldn't be here if they did.

Only when they all have taken their places, does Akashi finally appear. He's surrounded by four men, two of which Tetsuya has already met. They're all members of Akashi Seijuro's personal guard, the Imperial guard as it is known officially, men as notorious as the Emperor himself. And each of them sticks out in the midst of a room full of eccentric palace officials, despite their uniform dress.

There is Kise, almost otherworldly in his beauty, a detail that has led many a foe into their deaths. Next to him is Midorima, a shrewd and eccentric marksman, who's rumored to have never ever missed a shot in his entire life. Behind Midorima, flanking Akashi's back, is a dark skinned man with short cropped hair, tinted an odd blue color - if Tetsuya guesses correctly that is Aomine Daiki, first sword of the realm and an even deadlier swordsman than Kise. Lastly, there is a giant of a man, shadowing even over the other guards, long purple hair half obscuring his face. He's standing with a bit of a slump, looking for all the world as though he is about to fall asleep on his feet, but Tetsuya remembers the stories they tell about Murasakibara Atsushi, personal bodyguard to Akashi Seijuro and the legions of men that fell to his hammer.

He remembers all of the stories about these men; young as they are, they already left their mark on history. And weren't it for the blood that drenches his own history, Tetsuya would quiver in fear in the shadows of these _miracles_.

But despite all of their overwhelming presence, it is Akashi who commands the center of attention. He's smaller than each of them, but his overwhelming presence and aura doesn't leave a doubt who truly is in charge. In his wake, even the legendary Imperial guard seems to shrink into the shadows.

Akashi is clad in red, gold-trimmed brocade, but unlike Tetsuya the heavy fabric doesn't swallow him up. It enhances his already imposing natural presence. His hair is a blazing scarlet red, blending smoothly with the surrounding, so that it looks as though his fair is crested by a crown of flames. Dragons stitched in gold thread wind their way up Akashi's robe, spewing flames up his shoulders.

Red. Red is everywhere, swallowing the world like an indomitable sea of blood.

Tetsuya wants to close his eyes against it, but that'll bring memories back to the surface he has spent too many years to bury. So he braves the sight of red, face schooled into impassiveness, as he watches Akashi take his position in front of the shrine.

He wonders if red will ever be something else than the color of death to him.

And as he watches the Imperial guard move around Akashi, perfectly in sync, he can't help but remember what his brother so gleefully told him, not so long ago. _The Emperor and his guards are one entity. You won't just be married to Akashi; you will belong to all of them._

He has no doubt now, that his brother was right. Tetsuya slides a finger along the hard line of his folded fan. Through some miracle he was allowed to keep it. The crest painted intricately on the silk paper is older than the Rakuzan line. A silver-grey sea serpent entwined in eternal fight with his dark-grey counterpart. Shadow and light, locked in eternity.

The words written underneath the dragons are old in their scripture and even older in their meaning. It's the creed of the Teikou family.

_We are darkness. We are light._

Tetsuya can't remember a time when his family has ever been something else than a lot of darkness and lot less light. His hand tightens around the fan involuntarily.

He will see this to its end. Whatever end that may be.

Akashi doesn't kneel when he pays respect to the family gods. Neither do his guards. It's a short and quiet affair, more ceremonial than actually spiritual. The Emperor doesn't believe in the fickle will of gods.

The priest speaks a blessing, voice barely rising above the constant thrum of the monk's chanting, and then, finally, the time has come.

One of his servant/guards puts the hooded veil into place that he has been spared until now. It obscures most of his sight, so Tetsuya has to more feel his way forward. Bells start chiming and somewhere a gentle drum beat picks up.

Death or union, wherever the gods are involved, they all dance to the same tune.

Tetsuya follows the rhythm of the drums as he steps forward. He casts his eyes downward, hands clasped in front of him, fan hidden away in one of his too big sleeves. He falls to his knees in front of the shrine, the members of the Imperial guard parting to make way from him. He folds his hand in front of him; his fan has long since been tugged into the folds of his sleeve. Tetsuya bows his head as he pays his respect to the gods of the family that is about to welcome him.

Tetsuya doesn't pray. He has been brought up to serve Gods that no shrine of human making could ever hold and prayers that are written in shades of red. Their cruelty has made him wary of the comfort found in the shadow of a God.

"Rise, Kuroko Tetsuya of the Teikou." The priest says gravely and Tetsuya follows suit. On the way up he pushes back the hood, revealing his face to the crowd.

He isn't supposed to, but he looks anyway. Akashi is impressive, even in profile. His eyes are a mismatched red and gold and in the split second that Tetsuya gets to actually look at him, he sees the odd vertical shape of Akashi's pupils. The sight floors him, upends the world around him, and then Akashi does _something_, his eyes seem to flicker and Tetsuya finds the balance stolen from him.

His reaction runs solely on instinct, falling into one of the most basic defense stances and trying to counter whatever it is that Akashi does, but to no avail. Tetsuya still doesn't know what happened, when he finds himself on his knees at Akashi's feet.

And between all that, there is the fraction of a moment when he thought he saw surprise in Akashi's face.

The change of tune of the crowd's murmuring is the only sign that something out of the ordinary happened. None of the people around him move, and over the soft melody of the music, he can hear Akashi's equally soft voice.

"Know your place."

He's not even raised his voice, and yet the force of command behind these few words leaves Tetsuya reeling. An uneasy feeling settles uncomfortably in his gut.

But if anything, Tetsuya knows how to pretend. He adjusts his position and puts his hands in front of his knees, before he touches his forehead to the ground.

"Forgive me, your majesty." He lets the barest amount of remorse bleed into his voice, just enough to not make it seem as insincere as it is.

The crowd quiets down and Tetsuya dares to look up. He catches Kise's eyes more on accident than intent. He can only guess at how the others are looking at him, but in Kise's eyes he reads an odd mixture of relief and… pride?

He doesn't have the time to make sense of that now. No one protests or stops him, when he rises slowly back to his feet. He's still shaken from what Akashi just did, but he refuses to let it show. The thin strip of false security he has brought with him has just been torn to pieces.

Needless to say, he has gravely underestimated Akashi Seijuro.

The ceremony continues, with Tetsuya keeping his head down in perfect demureness. He knows his place alright. He knows it better than Akashi ever could. The thought tastes bitter on his tongue. So even when the priest takes their hands and ties them together, Tetsuya keeps his eyes turned down.

Seijuro's body heat is almost scorching against his skin.

The priest speaks another blessing, cherry branch in hand as he scatters the pink petals over them like rain. Or like blood stained flakes of snow. Tetsuya wonders what it says about the future that awaits him, if this is how it starts.

And he wonders, not for the first time, if he has made a mistake.

Seijuro isn't loath to admit that Kuroko Tetsuya has surprised him. As the oldest son he is expected to have gone through basic warrior training, but what Seijuro has just seen was way more than standard training should be able to offer.

Kuroko read his move and even attempted to counteract it. It is not for his lack of skill that he failed, but for Seijuro's absolute superiority. Still, Seijuro is willing to forgive his slight for that display of almost grace. If only, for that it may have opened up a possibility Kuroko might be of worth to him after all.

He might have underestimated his new bride.

It might serve to investigate the rumors that float around the Teikou clan after all.

The ceremony finally nears its end. The priest hands him a cup with sacred rice wine. Seijuro takes a sip, the taste of it rich and thick on his tongue. The wine is special; its potency can intoxicate only after a few mouthfuls.

Seijuro offers the cup to Kuroko who takes it, eyes still cast downwards. The sight of Kuroko's continued submission should please him, but he has little reason to belief it is sincere. And strangely enough, what does annoy him is not the insincerity, but that Kuroko bothers to put up a front to begin with.

Kuroko takes a sip from the cup and Seijuro's eyes are drawn involuntarily to the slight flutter of his eye lashes, when the potent wine hits his palate. Kuroko Tetsuya is not attractive in that universally accepted way that Ryouta is, and he doesn't have the natural rough charm of people like Daiki, nor the refined beauty that Shintarou possesses. It might be different if he were a woman. But despite his obvious plainness, there is something about him that compels Seijuro to _look_.

Kuroko hands the cup back to the priest, who pours the remaining contents onto the stone ground. An offering to the gods, that they may bestow their blessings on the new couple. A few drops of the wine spill on the hem of Kuroko's, no Tetsuya's robes, staining the otherwise immaculate white.

The ceremony is complete and they are officially wed now.

Tetsuya's face is a smooth mask, not even his eyes give away what he is thinking. Even amidst the overbearing heat of the red surrounding them, he seems like he is chipped from ice. Even his skin is cold. All the time their hands have been tied together, none of Seijuro's body heat seemed to have seeped into Tetsuya's skin. Maybe there is beauty after all in the way he deflects his surroundings.

Seijuro finally turns to face his court and subordinates. Tetsuya follows his movement like a shadow.

The people in the crowd fall to their knees. Seijuro takes note of the few who take their time, the only act of defiance many of them dare. Seijuro waits until his guards have taken up their position, before he starts his way down the way to the entrance of the shrine chamber.

People left and right murmur their blessings and cheers, heads bowed as they pass.

The rhythm of the music changes as they pass through the chamber doors and into the palace corridors. Servants and guests alike have gathered to celebrate the newlywed couple. The whole city will be one huge celebration tonight, paid from the Imperial treasury. A costly gift, but one that will serve to keep the people appeased.

Tetsuya is silent during their procession through the palace corridors. He keeps his eyes front and posture regal, the perfect picture of an untouchable Queen.

"Do as you're told and your time here will be not unpleasant." Seijuro says when they've finally left the main part of the palace and entered the quieter area, where the private chambers of the Imperial family are located.

Tetsuya's nod is almost imperceptible.

Good, Seijuro would hate having to punish Tetsuya for any more disobedience.

The banquet hall is decked banners in red and gold, bearing the Rakuzan family crest. Someone even thought of putting up a banner bearing the Teikou crest, but the single speck of blue seems lost in the midst of red. There are flowers too, Chrysanthemum for Seijuro and lilies for Tetsuya.

Seijuro has changed into a more comfortable, yet still formal robe, cut similar to the one he wears when he holds court. Tetsuya is dressed in the traditional formal kimono of the Imperial wife, a deep crimson red, patterned with Camellias. The color doesn't suit him at all.

Many guests have arrived for this special occasion. They came from all corners of the country, some even came from the continent in the West. Seijuro's entire court is present, each official and dignitary dressed up in an attempt to outdo their peers. Even his mistresses are here, albeit hidden in a curtained off alcove at the side of the hall.

One family however, is suspiciously absent.

The family that sold off their oldest son, like he's a whore who's only worth lies in buying favors. But then again, maybe that is precisely the reason why they didn't show up.

Although it does draw suspicion. Allegedly the Teikou offered him Tetsuya to tighten the bonds between their families, yet not even a representative of the Teikou can be seen. Shintarou told him that even the men who accompanied Tetsuya to the capital for the formal sendoff, were men from a family of retainers.

He can only guess what Tetsuya thinks about that, but for all he knows, he might be a part of the ploy.

They are waiting in a small room adjacent to the banquet hall until the guests have been seated. Only then will they emerge and take their places at table at the end of the hall.

Unlike him, his guards haven't changed out of their uniforms. They are accompanied by four officers of the palace guard, who will help overlooking the procedures. The Rakuzan line has plenty of enemies, and an event of this scale attracts a lot of opportunities.

The guests will offer presents to the newly betrothed couple during the course of the meals, which makes the whole thing a long and tedious affair.

"Mibuchi and Nebuya will be in charge of receiving the gifts on Akashi's behalf." Shintarou explains. "Aomine will watch Akashi; Kise you are going to cover Kuroko, while Murasakibara will be in charge of the food." He gives him a pointed look. "I hope I don't need to tell you that that doesn't mean you get to stuff your face. It is essential you make sure to screen the food thoroughly."

Shintarou adjusts his spectacles, making an effort to rein in his agitation. "I will stay in the background and have an eye on the room. Hayama and Mayuzumi will mingle with the crowd."

"Oi, Midorima, do you think this all is necessary?" Daiki sticks his pinky into his ear, as usual unheeding of his surroundings.

Shintarou gives him a hard glare "No, but I am not willing to take that risk." He turns to open a wooden box on the table behind him. "These are ceremonial, but I trust you can put them to use if need be." He hands out swords with artfully crafted sheaths that show of the history of the Rakuzan. They would be of little use on a real battlefield, but Seijuro has complete trust in the capability of his guards.

"Eh, Mido-chin, this is too small for me." Atsushi frowns at his. It's not a small sword by any means, but in his hands it has more similarity with a dagger than a sword. "I can't use this."

"Unfortunately we don't possess such a thing as a ceremonial hammer." Shintarou says primly. "I am not happy with this choice of weapon either, if it is any consolation to you."

"I don't see a problem." Kotarou says cheerfully. Eikichi next to him tests the sword's merit as a club.

"They're a bit heavy." Ryouta observes, while he tests the balance of his.

"Why can't we use our real weapons?" Daiki looks at his as though it has personally slighted him.

"It would certainly be prudent to at least arm the guards properly." Chihiro speaks up quietly.

"It certainly would be." Shintarou says with no little amount of annoyance. "Unfortunately for us though, the sixth Emperor Akashi saw it befit to decree a law that prohibited any and all weapons on days of Imperial celebration. Thankfully the ninth Emperor had more sense and changed the law to exclude ceremonial weapons."

"At least the law included all attendees." Reo says with a shrug. "Although the definition of 'ceremonial' has stretched over time." He flicks a finger against the sheathed blade of his sword, which is sharp to the point of deadly.

"I don't know what the fuss about blades is anyway." Eikichi says and stuffs his sword into his belt. Atsushi hums in approval but is otherwise busy retrieving a snack from his pockets.

"Anyway, I don't see the point." Ryouta runs a hand through his hair. "Nothing is going to happen." He looks at Seijuro.

"You are right Ryouta." Seijuro finally breaks his silence. The ongoing banter falls silent immediately as everyone turns to him. "I guarantee nothing will happen."

Shintarou looks as if he wants to say something, but one look from Seijuro silences him.

It is that moment that Momoi Satsuki, the Chief lady-in-waiting _and_ steward of his court, enters the room to inform them that the preparations are complete.

"Good, I'm starving." Daiki grins, garnering a very annoyed frown from Satsuki.

"Dai-chan, you know you are not supposed to eat while the celebration is going on. You have a job to do. _Please don't tell me you forgot already."_

"Of course I know." Daiki tries to placate a very frustrated Satsuki. "I just meant, the sooner we start, the sooner I get to eat, okay?"

Satsuki obviously doesn't believe him, but lets it go either way.

"Don't worry Sei-chan." Reo pulls something out of his uniform, while he leans in to whisper conspiratorially. "I got them some provisions, so Atsushi won't start eating the guests." He says the last part loud enough so that everyone in the room can hear him.

Daiki's face lights up, as does Ryouta's. Shintarou just rolls his eyes.

Atsushi blinks as though he's just woken up. "Eh, I'd much rather eat Kuro-chin. He looks sweet."

"Please don't eat me." Tetsuya says, startling a yelp of at least half the people present. Satsuki almost jumps into Daiki's arms in shock. Seijuro notes the reactions with interest.

"Weren't you just over there a second ago?" Ryouta asks, eyes wide and disbelieving.

Tetsuya's eyes flicker to Seijuro for the fraction of a second. "No, I was here the whole time."

Satsuki lets out a high pitched noise that Seijuro belatedly identifies as cooing.

"You must be Kuroko Tetsuya, yes?" She lets go of Daiki's arm and skips over to grab Tetsuya's hand. "You look even better than I imagined."

"Satsuki." Daiki says, voice ostensibly annoyed, but there is a note of warning underneath. Satsuki drops Tetsuya's hand as though she was burned.

"Ah… I'm sorry. Kuroko-sama." She bows her head and darts her eyes to see if Seijuro takes offense. He doesn't and she breathes a sigh of relief. "You can come to me if you need anything." She reassures him, and Tetsuya nods.

"Thank you." He says and it sounds sincere.

Atsushi, in the meantime has take it upon him to seize Tetsuya up from head to toe. "Can I really not eat you?" He asks. He leans forward slightly, towering over Tetsuya, despite his slouch.

"Don't eat Kuroko, he'll mess up your stomach." Daiki slaps a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder, making him stagger with the force of it.

Seijuro takes the opportunity to check with Shintarou how much time they had remaining, until they were expected to make an appearance. The guests are so far still entertained by the served wine and snacks before the actual meal. Shintarou gives him an unhappy look, but Seijuro has something to take care of before he concentrates his entire focus on maneuvering the snake pit that was his court. Now is as good as a time as any.

"Tetsuya." He says, voice quiet, but the command in it cuts instantly through the conversations. Tetsuya's look is steadily focused on his mouth and Seijuro's satisfaction at the well learned lesson is only slightly marred by a tinge of the same annoyance he felt earlier.

"It is perhaps time I introduce you to my personal guards." Tetsuya gives him the barest of nods to signal he has heard him. Ryouta looks very much like he is about to reintroduce himself a second time, close and personal, while Shintarou just gives him a look that finds its perfect mirror in Chihiro's expression of _really?_.

"You are already acquainted with Ryouta and Shintarou. But you have yet to meet Aomine Daiki and Murasakibara Atsushi." He inclines his head in both their directions in way of introduction. Daiki doesn't look too sold but grins anyway, while Atsushi is too busy with the food he filched from Reo to do much more than hum in acknowledgment.

Seijuro then introduces the others to him, indicating that Satsuki will be in charge of most of his affairs. A prospect that Satsuki seems to be delighted about and Tetsuya acknowledges with the same stoic patience that seems to be his default setting.

"The nature of our relationship will require you spend a lot of time in their presence. Make sure to get along with them." He's sure enough that Tetsuya gets the meaning behind his words.

"Please take care of me." Tetsuya offers a perfectly executed bow, Shintarou couldn't have done better.

There's a beat of silence as everyone just looks at Tetsuya. Seijuro can't say he likes the idea of having Tetsuya for consort any more than before, but at least now he can see his incorporation into their midst not as a total loss.

And then Ryouta surprises him with a reaction he supposes he should have seen coming.

"Sure we will." Ryouta's smile is gentle as he ruffles Tetsuya's hair. "You can count on us."

There is little else to say. Shintarou quietly reminds him that they delayed long enough and so Seijuro signals the others to follow him.

The celebration drags on for seemingly forever, until finally the last plates are cleared and no more guests line up with gifts. Seijuro feels exhausted by the endless string of cheers and lies he had to listen to today, and f he has developed any skill in reading Tetsuya, he feels very much the same.

Reo, Kotarou and Eikichi see the guests off, while Seijuro retires with his guards and Tetsuya to the privacy of his chambers. They pass the chief administrator of the Ministry of the Military, sitting alone at one of the table closer to the wall. He gives them a lazy greeting in passing that borders on insolence.

Daiki snarls and seems very close to sharing his feelings on the matter, but a simple sign from Seijuro stops him. Shouichi tends to test his limits with vigor, but the reason he is still in office simply is that he is the best.

And also one of the few members in his court Seijuro is confident to trust.

Tetsuya has his own chambers, next to Seijuro's. The members of the Imperial guard have their own smaller chambers in the same tract, as they are expected to be at the Emperor's beck and call at any hour. Seijuro leads them to the Queen's chambers, instead of his own.

Chihiro has gone ahead to make sure everything has been prepared and is now waiting for them in front of the doors. Next to him are the three handmaids that Satsuki has ordered to tend to Tetsuya's every need. If nothing else, Seijuro can be sympathetic to the fact he has been uprooted from the home he grew up in.

And if what he has seen today is any indication, he might be able to make use of Tetsuya after all.

The handmaids bow and welcome their new master, after paying the due respect to him. He bids them to leave them alone for the time being, until Tetsuya is ready to retire. Chihiro returns to his duties, leaving Seijuro alone with Tetsuya.

Seijuro sits down in one of the chairs in Tetsuya's reception room. The room is meant for receiving guests and is generally considered a more public area. A door at the back of the room leads into the more private living room area, from which one can reach the bedroom. Seijuro has a small library and a study attached to his own living room, while the Queen's rooms house an expansive walk-in wardrobe.

Shintarou takes his place at Seijuro's side, while Atsushi stands behind the chair. Daiki and Ryouta have little regards for protocol and proceed to inspect the room. At least they might uncover any hidden dangers like that. If there were any that is. For all the enemies he has, Seijuro is absolutely confident that the chambers of his wife are safe.

Tetsuya stays standing in the middle of the room, posture straight and perfect and infuriatingly submissive. Seijuro is aware that he is somewhat contradicting, but ever since Tetsuya slipped into the role of the submissive bride so easily after his first and only act of defiance, he feels an odd sort of uneasiness. Tetsuya's subservience is flawless in its execution, but Seijuro can't help but think it's a mask that doesn't fit Tetsuya- Something about the way he moves, even while so obviously appearing submissive, gives off an aura of danger.

If Tetsuya feels unsettled by the continued silence he doesn't show it. Seijuro decides to cut right to the chase. "I have no intention to sleep with you."

No reaction from Tetsuya.

However, Ryouta almost drops the book he was looking at. Daiki has slightly more grace and manages to transform his gaping into a more or less convincing yawn.

Despite being a mostly formal and symbolic affair, marriages among noble houses have to be consummated within a week after the ceremony, lest they be voided. His chief administrator of the Ministry of Ceremonies assures him that he is working on a solution to alter the ancient laws, but Seijuro never had much reason to trust the man.

Thankfully he doesn't have to be the one consummating the marriage.

"You are aware of the laws of tradition?" A nod. "Good. You should be aware that I do not have to consummate our marriage in person. I can transfer the duty to one of my personal guards. I would recommend you prepare yourself accordingly. You may look at me." The last part wasn't supposed to come out at all, but now that he's said it Seijuro is loath to take it back.

Tetsuya' surprise is marginal and only visible in how he lifts his head too fast to look at him. The odd thing is, Seijuro is certain that Tetsuya's surprise stems from his last order as opposed to the prior revelation.

"You are my consort now, as such you have permission to directly address me and look at me. You may not, however, look me in the eyes. You may also be conscious of your conduct at any time. I will not tolerate your behavior to cause me disgrace. You are expected to fulfill your duties in court. Satsuki will fill you in on the details. Am I understood?"

Tetsuya gives him a calm and clear "Yes" in reply. For now Seijuro is satisfied.

"You can rest for now. I will send Satsuki tomorrow to show you around and introduce you to your duties."

With that he leaves Tetsuya alone, guards close on his heels.

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><p><strong>AN:** One reason why this is going to be updating slowly is that writing this thing is a clusterfuck of backwards and forwards jump at inopportune times. Meaning, even though I'm already down with chapter 6, I still have to go back frequently and change/adjust things in earlier chapters, because I've come up with new ideas or changes or god knows what else. So there will be some inconsistencies eventually, and maybe some minor plot line will disappear somewhere or will show up out of nowhere, I apologize for that. The main plot won't hopefully be affected though.

Oh and Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/have a nice holiday and a Happy New Year in advance to all of you.


	3. Swallow in a Golden Cage

**A/N: **I wish you all a Happy New Year!

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><p>Tetsuya can't sleep. It's not the unfamiliar and way too big bed. It's also not the fact he's confined to his rooms with two guards outside his doors and the suffocating feeling of unknown terrain. He's been awake since the early hours of the morning and yet he finds himself wide awake and unable to fall asleep.<p>

The moment his new husband walked out the door, no even before that, his mind had been at work. He needs to adjust his plans. He'd given the rumors surrounding Akashi Seijuro too little credibility. He had thought he would be more like the men from his family, cruel, capricious and with an insatiable thirst for power. He had to adjust his view of the world, Tetsuya reflects somewhat gravely.

His perspective had been too narrow and restricted by what he has known his whole life. Akashi certainly is prideful, but as opposed to Tetsuya's brother, he has every reason to be. To Akashi, it seems, wielding power, no, _power_ comes naturally as breathing.

His thoughts are interrupted by the innocuous rustling of curtains. Tetsuya is out of bed and poised ready to strike in a heartbeat. The windows are closed; he made sure of that before he went to bed.

"Oi Kuroko, you there?" A familiar voice calls quietly and Tetsuya relaxes. He pushes away from his spot against the wall next to the bulky wardrobe and steps into the pale light of the moon, thrown in through the gaps in the curtain. A man dressed in black and shadows cowers on the windowsill. At Tetsuya's sight he jumps down lightly without making a sound.

"That was quite reckless Kagami-kun."

"Shut up." Kagami grumbles. "I knew you were alone." He takes a moment to look Tetsuya over from head to toe, in obvious search for any signs of harm.

Tetsuya tugs quite self consciously on the frilly silk robe he had been offered for wear by his handmaids. He had meant to protest, really, the garment is entirely impractical and not to mention flimsy, but he couldn't exactly use that argument without raising suspicion. Not to mention Momoi, who had come in to assure herself of his wellbeing, had downright squealed at the image he provided when one of his handmaids held up the garment to him. Tetsuya had then concluded that he had worn worse today.

Apparently that was not the target of Kagami's concern though. "Did you..? I mean did he…?" Kagami rubs a hand on his neck, looking anywhere but Tetsuya. Kagami Taiga, his protector and childhood friend alike, is about the deadliest person he has ever encountered, himself included; he'd never have guessed it in this moment.

Unfortunately for all their mutual acquaintances, he also has the social tact of a brick wall.

"No we didn't." Tetsuya flops down on his bed. Now that he has to be awake, his exhaustion hits him full force. Kagami sighs, letting go of a lot of tension with that one sound. Tetsuya wishes it would be that easy for him too.

"I'll kill him if he lays a hand on you." Kagami ruffles his hair in an affectionate gesture. He makes it sound light, but Tetsuya knows that Kagami wouldn't hesitate a second to go through with the threat. It makes him smile, despite the harsh circumstances. He has missed Kagami.

"You can't Kagami-kun."

The affectionate smile falls from Kagami's lips. "I know." He drops his hand and sits down next to Tetsuya. "I still don't like this."

"I'm always open for alternatives." Tetsuya says, knowing full well that Kagami has to offer none. The look Kagami gives him is accordingly reproachful.

"I thought we agreed on leaving the plans up to you." Kagami says with a dry quirk of his lips. There was that thing with the eight runaway knights and a mission Kagami had been supposed to leave to Izuki and Tetsuya's still not sure how they came out of that one alive. After that one, his mentor was far more eager to send him along Kagami on missions.

"I thought your stint in Hakonoha was much more troublesome."

"Oi, that was-" Kagami's voice is a tick too loud and he immediately cuts himself off. They listen for a few tense moments for any suspicious sounds, but it seems no one heard them.

"Sorry about that. I keep forgetting where we are. "Kagami says with no small amount of sheepishness.

Tetsuya pokes him in the side. "Riko-san would scold you and make you do extra training.

Kagami winces. "But security around here is a joke, seriously. It was way too easy to sneak in." He makes a grimace as he looks through the room. "I could have walked right into the Emperor's bedroom and cut his throat in his sleep."

"He has a very skilled personal guard." Tetsuya says solemnly. Kagami shrugs, making it clear how little he thinks of the matter.

Tetsuya thinks of Murasakibara's enormous built and the force he must be able to put into every strike, thinks of Aomine's cat like grace that is so much like Kagami's, thinks of Kise who held an overweight ceremonial saber with so much practiced ease it sent a shiver down Tetsuya's spine and he thinks of the delicately wrapped up fingers of Midorima who is rumored to hit the stone from a cherry while it falls from the tree. He says none of that aloud though, because it would send Kagami down the wrong tangent.

"They have little reason to be paranoid here." He says instead. Kagami raises his rather impressive eyebrows in obvious disbelief, but doesn't press the issue. Tetsuya has underestimated Akashi once already; he won't make that mistake twice.

"Keep an eye out for traps." Tetsuya says after a moment of consideration. He has no doubt that a lot of Akashi's confidence is built on his own and his men's skills, but he wouldn't put it past him to go the extra mile of caution.

"I didn't spot any on my way here. But I guess it does speak for him that he's still on the throne."

"Most of his enemies are internal." Tetsuya offers. "I suppose he wouldn't last as long though if my brother were to decide he wants to be Emperor." Tetsuya allows himself a very wry smile. The thought of his brother leaves a sour taste in his mouth, especially when he imagines him on the throne, with countless subjects to do his bidding.

Kagami makes a face. "I sure hope he doesn't. This Akashi sounds like a nasty piece of work."

"I have to admit I underestimated him."

"That bad?"

"I'll work around it. The plan will work out."

"I say screw the plan and get out of here. It's no use to risk your life for something like this."

"Something like this?" Tetsuya echoes, voice carefully flat. Kagami visibly deflates and looks away.

"I can't let her die, Kagami-kun." Tetsuya looks up at Kagami, willing him to understand that he can't just let it go. Too much is at stake.

Kagami sighs exaggeratedly and ruffles another hand through Kuroko's hair. "I know." He pulls his hand back and lets it drop back to his side. "I know." He repeats, quieter now.

Silence settles as each hangs after his own thoughts. It's Kagami who breaks it eventually. "I should go. I have to report back or it'll cause suspicion. You…" He trails off, hesitant. "You'll be alright?"

"I will." Kuroko says and puts as much assurance into his words as he can.

"I'll be back in about a week." He pulls a small knife from his pockets and hands it to Tetsuya. "Don't kill anyone." He says sternly, and Tetsuya's lips quirk just ever so slightly.

"I'm sure to call you, should I need collateral assistance." Tetsuya deadpans and Kagami grins.

He pats Tetsuya on the head one more time and walks to the window, where he pauses and scratches his head. "Uh, could you close the window for me please? I kind of had to bust the lock and… ah…" He shrugs and affects a sheepish smile.

Tetsuya just sighs and waves him off. He'll figure out how to explain the broken lock somehow. At least Kagami managed to break in without making any discernible sound, which is somewhat reassuring that his skills haven't suffered too much.

Kagami swings his legs over the windowsill, about to disappear into the night, when Tetsuya's voice holds him back one last time. "Kagami-kun." Tetsuya can't make out Kagami's face in the darkness, but he can make out the shock of his red hair, where it peeks out from under his black headpiece.

"Thank you."

"Any time." Kagami says and a moment later he has merged with the dark of the night.

Tetsuya has no more trouble falling asleep after that.

The next day awaits him with an early rise and a surprise, as he's woken by one of his handmaids. The lack of sleep and unfamiliar surroundings almost have him stab the girl with his knife in reflex, but he manages to stop the attack at the last minute, masking it as an exaggerated yawn. The girls is startled, but pulls herself together soon enough. He uses here short lapse of confusion to slide the dagger under the nightstand.

She bows and informs him that Momoi-sama has to attend to unexpected circumstance and Kise-sama is to take her place instead. Tetsuya turns the news over in his head a few times and comes to the conclusion that it's neither an improvement nor a change for the worse.

The handmaid looks unsure when Tetsuya doesn't make any attempt to get up. In her confusion she seems to inadvertently fall back on the basics and bows again, informing him his bath has been drawn and awaits him. The handmaid- no, Tetsuya forces himself to refer to her by her name. She is a person and had as little choice in her lot as he had.

Ayame holds out a robe for him to slip into. She keeps her eyes downwards and Tetsuya is half inclined to tell her to be at ease around him, but assumes it would be of little use.

The last time he didn't have to take a bath himself is buried in such distant memory, Tetsuya isn't even sure it is even real. It takes a substantial amount of willpower to keep still while Ayame and his other two handmaids fuss over him. It feels strange to be handled with this much care and even stranger to have three women undress him like it's the most normal thing in the world.

He wants to send them away, to keep his private business private, but he knows better. So he lets them touch him with gentle fluttering hands, let them soap him up and rinse him off, before ushering him into the basin of hot water that is receded into the floor.

At first it is silent, except for the sound of splashing water, but after a while, when his natural lack of presence has settled, the handmaids start to idly chatter among themselves. Tetsuya lets the sound wash over him. It's mostly palace gossip, but that's where the most information is hidden.

He's gotten way too little sleep and when one of the handmaids starts massaging soap into his hair he's close to falling asleep. Instead he sets his mind to thinking. Manipulating Akashi is out of the question, which means he has to find a way to gain the man's trust and support. And if he has read the existent distribution of power right, that means he has to make himself useful to Akashi.

Proof his worth as they say.

His worth beyond his status, that is. All Akashi would need to do is consummate their marriage, after which he could lock Tetsuya up somewhere out of sight. The only duty he absolutely has to fulfill is one that doesn't require his immediate presence - or consent. As such, Tetsuya supposes, he can be glad that Akashi has already decided he is to fulfill court duties.

Tetsuya wonders what it will take to convince Akashi of his worth. Just how many of his secrets will he have to give up in order to do that?

They rub sweet smelling oil into his hair and skin afterwards. He gets dressed in yet another high quality silk robe. The color at least, is more suited to flatter him this time, as it is a soft shade of blue. He's left alone with Ayame again, after the other two leave.

"Kuroko-sama." Ayame bows, hands folded in front of her, as she waits for Tetsuya to finish inspecting his new robes. "Kise-sama will be here shortly. Akashi-sama wishes you a good morning and begs you to forgive his absence as he has important matters to attend to. Kise-sama shall keep you company for breakfast in his stead." Her smile is bright and clueless. Tetsuya has to admit he is surprised, he hadn't suspected Akashi one to concern himself with upholding appearances.

"The kitchen has prepared a specialty from your home to surprise you." Ayame tells him, smile bright and so warm it hits Tetsuya right in the gut. Suddenly he is four again, playing at the feet of his mother. He can't remember her face or her smile, but he imagines it must have looked something like this. Gentle. Warm. The thought hurts.

"Kuroko-sama?" Ayame prompts cautiously and Tetsuya pulls himself from his thoughts. It's no use thinking about her now. She's long dead.

"Pardon my asking, but I noticed earlier…" She trails off, unsure if she should continue.

"It's alright." Tetsuya says. He hadn't even realized he had laid a hand on his neck. Considering that, it's not hard to guess what she wants to know.

"Is that…" She swallows, eyes darting here and there, but always end up drawn right back to his neck. "…a scar?" The pale white line on Tetsuya's line is almost invisible against his skin, but she must have spotted it earlier when he was taking a bath.

"It is." Tetsuya says and leaves it at that. Ayame doesn't dare to ask further; instead she bows again and apologizes. He wants to tell her that there's no need to be so formal, but this isn't his home and she is just a piece handed to him by Akashi. There is not even a reason to trust her.

Tetsuya ignores the urge to finger his scar again, a habit he picked up during his childhood and never quite managed to shake. And as he follows Ayame out of his bedroom, Tetsuya can't shake the feeling that something is missing. It's like he said to Kagami the night before, the people here have no reason to be paranoid; _he _doesn't have a reason to feel paranoid.

After growing up surrounded by people that would have killed him if only they could, it feels almost disorienting to be in a place that means him no harm. Although, he supposes, that is up for debate, as he does have the wedding night to consider. Even taking his importance in strengthening Akashi's reign into account, to the people here he must pose such an insignificant threat. The thought does hold a certain amount of amusement for him.

Not that Tetsuya doesn't intend to change that.

Kise is already waiting for them in the small dining area that is attached to his living room.

Now in the light of day, Tetsuya gets his first good look at his new home. He had his own room back at home, but it was sparse and small, nothing compared to the lavish size and luxury of his new chambers. Although Tetsuya is glad to note, while everything is of the finest and expensive quality, nothing is overdone. Whoever designed the interior had an eye for detail.

Kise's greeting is somewhat less enthusiastic than it was the day before and while he does his best to uphold a string of chatter during breakfast, it seems much more forced in its attempt to be amiable.

Tetsuya, for his part, listens quietly and leaves most of his food untouched. A fact that goes either unnoticed or merely uncommented by Kise and almost causes Ayame to burst into tears, until he reassures her that the food was perfectly to his taste, but he merely can't eat that much.

She is not entirely placated, but Tetsuya has spent too much time among people who misinterpret his eating habits to care that much.

"Kuroko-sama is not expected to pick up court duties right away." Kise explains after Ayame has cleared the table. "Normally the week after the wedding is a time for the bride and groom to acquaintance each other, but…" Kise makes a hand gesture following the trail off his words. He doesn't meet Tetsuya's eyes.

He is not the one at fault, still Tetsuya finds himself saying, "It's alright Kise-kun," before he has the time to think it through.

Kise looks at him in surprise. Tetsuya meets his gaze evenly. He didn't intend to address Kise this informally, but something about Kise puts him at ease in a way he rarely ever was, even at home. There is, he supposes no harm in that. Kise's surprise passes and is replaced by a smile so brilliant it puts any jewel to shame.

"How about I show you around the palace now?" He asks brightly. All the gloom that surrounded him until now has disappeared completely.

"Yes, I would appreciate that." Tetsuya says with more fondness in his voice than originally intended. Something about the unconcerned ease with which he bestows his affection reminds him of Kagami.

Kise's smile is dazzling again.

"If milord would follow me." Kise affects a playful bow, grin big and wide an irresistibly happy grin on his face. The sight is somewhat sobering; as it inevitably comes with the thought how different everything could be if people like Kise were less rare. Somehow he no longer thinks Kise's warmth is anything but insincere.

Kise makes for a very entertaining but somewhat overbearing tour guide. He shows Tetsuya around the palace's living area, shows him the door to Akashi's rooms and then the doors to his and the other guards' rooms. He shows them the quarters of the servants that serve the Imperial family and their affiliates, shows him the small kitchen that serves up their food. They end up staying for a bit of chatter with the cooks and servers. Kise as it seems, is friends with everyone.

"Our rooms are all in the West wing." Kise explains after one of the cooks, a busty lady with a menacing wooden ladle in hand, finally chased them out, although she did let them have a pick of her sweat buns before that. Tetsuya is still nibbling on his, while Kise has already finished. "The East wing houses all the offices and administrations of the court officials. I can show you, but it's quite boring to be honest." Kise grimaces.

"The central part is open for public during the day. Although to get in you need an invitation or an appointment. There's special days every month though. That's when everyone's allowed to come in for an audience."

Kise leads him down a small corner staircase, hidden behind a curtain and then along a carpeted corridor that follows the line of the main corridor that connects the palace tracts. It's rather small and only dimly lit, but unlike the main corridor it has small windows up high in the wall. Kise explains it's a corridor mainly used by servants and ideal to get quickly from one point to another. He even winks when he says it.

"The whole palace is actually undermined by a vast tunnel system, as far as I've heard. But I've never been down there, as it's real dangerous to get lost and stuff."

Tetsuya turns the information over in his head. He doesn't suspect that Kise wanted to do anything more than share something he found interesting with him, but there's still that niggling feeling that Kise plays much dumber than he actually is. But there is no point in thinking about that now.

"There were a lot of internal struggles back then, right after the Empire had been founded. Not everyone was happy to be united under the Rakuzan, and there were still a few independent domains, although they were all conquered eventually." Kise shoots him a somewhat impish smile. "Except for Teikou obviously."

Kise stops to hold a door open for Tetsuya. Tetsuya grew up in shoji-walled rooms, on an estate that was spread far instead of high. He still finds it hard to get used to the ever present stone walls and hinged doors.

"Well, the Emperors back then were all pretty paranoid and crazy." Kise shrugs. "At least that's what Midorimacchi told me. The old Rakuzan family home was supposedly full of traps, and there were lots of rumors saying that foreign visitors would often get lost. This palace was actually built by the sixth Emperor, after the trade routes to the West were reopened. He was totally paranoid apparently. Wanted to spy on everyone so he built the underground network." Kise shakes his head.

"He also put his sons into a death match, deciding who would succeed him. Also almost ended the line, because the last surviving son almost died of a wound from his brother's poisoned dagger." Kise shrugs. "Though doesn't quite beat my great-great-great-great-aunt who almost overthrew our domain's lord's reign, because his horse trampled her cabbage patch during a hunting trip." Kise grins. "Back in the day we were still lowly retainers for the Moriyama domain. I think my aunt worked up some notoriety though, because we were granted our own domain and Lordship two generations later."

"Is that why the marriage laws have been changed?" Tetsuya asks.

"I don't think my aunt's cabbages had anything to do… oh you mean the second Emperor? Yes, his great grandson changed the laws to allow for adoption of any blood related offspring, as long as the adoptive mother's status is of nobility. He had to ascend the throne at age two. Apparently the second Emperor repeated the practice, leaving him with a lot of dead sons and one daughter who'd survived just long enough to birth an heir. She got mixed up in the fightings I think."

"Why didn't he just forbid death matches?" Tetsuya asks.

Kise frowns lightly. "I don't know actually. Maybe he wanted to keep the option open to have a hand in the pick of one's successor. I think there was a case, a few generations later, where the actual heir was total useless, so his father decided to instate one of his bastard children. He was a good Emperor, but only after he run into a bit of a hassle with the firstborn son, who wasn't as thrilled at being stepped over." Kise scratches his head. "The story changes, depending on who you ask, but either the firstborn son tried to kill the bastard son and was executed as punishment, or the bastard son let his brother be executed under false accusations to get rid of him. Either way, after that, the marriage laws were adjusted to what they are today. Any heir has to get married before the age of 25 or he loses his right to the throne, in which case the next suitable son ascends the throne. If the son's a bastard, he gets adopted into the Imperial line, either post mortem or if the father is still alive formally. Ah, well, in Akashicchi's case, he was the only offspring of his father's, but his father's cousin was rumored to have a bastard child somewhere." Kise shrugs. "Not that it matters much now."

_No, it doesn't matter much anymore._ Tetsuya thinks to himself. The story hits very close to home.

Kise, unheeding of Tetsuya's thoughts, keeps chattering on. "But it had been quite problematic at times. There used to be a lot of bastard children around, and sometimes they tried to get in the way of the heir's marriage. Infighting wasn't uncommon. Akashicchi's grandfather, I think it was him, had to fend off some especially persistent siblings, so he started to shun his mistresses. It caused a lot of bad blood, even more so when he started to pull power away from the ministerial positions. When Akashi Masaomi, Akashicchi's father, ascended the throne, people hoped things would return to normal, but well." He gestures with his hand, encompassing all the meaning he isn't able or willing to put into words.

Tetsuya remembers enough of his history lessons, as disjointed as they were, to connect the dots himself. Akashi Masaomi hadn't only continued his father's work, he'd also married a woman many considered unsuitable to be the Empress.

They've reached the end of the corridor. There are two doors, one looks like all the other doors leading off the corridor, the other is steel-enforced and looks somewhat out of place.

"This door leads into the main corridor that connects to the main hall." Kise points to the wooden door. "This one leads into the throne room. It should be empty now, so we don't have to be quiet."

Kise carefully nudges the door open and pokes his head into the room beyond. Tetsuya can hear muffled voices, after which Kise waves him through after him. Two guards stand posted in front of the small alcove that hides the door. They bow deeply when Tetsuya passes.

The throne room is a large rectangular room, with a raised dais on their end. On the dais is a group of elaborately carved wooden chairs, with one slightly bigger chair in the center. It has gold inlays and the armrests are fashioned into claws, the same as the legs.

The hall is huge, smooth polished marble floor and huge mirrors lining the walls. There's not a single piece of furniture, nothing except the chairs at the head of the hall. It's a room built to intimidate.

"We rarely use this room these days." Kise stops in front of the chairs. "There used to be this really huge throne here. It was supposedly made from pure gold and massive, but it's been removed by Akashicchi's great-great-grandfather. Allegedly to fund his war against Cathay, but that's a rumor that could get you beheaded back then." Kise scratches his head. "Which probably means it was true. Although I do imagine it must have been rather uncomfortable to sit on gold all day.

"Well, anyway, we only ever use this room for when we receive official contingents from other countries." He waves for Tetsuya to follow him down the length of the hall. Their mirror images follow them like ghostly shadows through the mirrors along the walls. It is a disconcerting experience.

"I suppose Akashi-sama doesn't need a room to intimidate." Tetsuya says and he can't quite hide the solemn note in his voice.

Kise actually laughs. "Akaschicci can get a bit intense sometimes, but he means well. Although, sometimes he scares even me. Kurokocchi shouldn't worry about it though; just don't let Akashicchi down and he treats you nicely."

Tetsuya doesn't to point out how flawed that logic is, when applied to him. Instead he decides to address something else that has been bothering him for quite a while now. "Why do you keep adding -cchi to everyone's names?"

Kise affects one of his charming smiles again. "I only do that to people I respect."

Tetsuya allows himself a rare showcase of emotions, by raising his eyebrows at that. He is tempted to ask just how exactly he garnered Kise's respect, but has a rather good inkling as to why that is himself. He doesn't need to hear from Kise that he's merely married into respect through Akashi.

They reach the giant pair of portal doors at the end of the hall. One of the doors stands open halfway, and Tetsuya can hear the faint buzz of palace life through it. Outside is yet another pair of guards, who both bow deeply at their passing. Kise ignores them with practiced ease.

The room is smaller than the hall they just left. Chairs line the wall and a currently unoccupied desk is placed right in the center. This must be where the petitioners wait for their turn to speak in front of the Emperor.

"Normally, to request an audience with the Emperor, the petitioner has to go through a lengthy process; it's quite expensive, not many can afford it. That's why we hold special audition days every month, so that everyone can get a chance. But they are still a lot of people and we can't listen to each of them." Kise shoots him a rueful smile. "But Momoicchi has a good eye for who's got something important and who can wait."

"You are triaging petitioners?" Well, it's still a step up from not receiving anyone at all.

Kise gives him a reassuring smile. "It's better than to pick blindly and miss out on the important cases."

Tetsuya would like to point out that at least it would be fairer, as it won't be up to the Emperor's men to determine what is important, but there would be no point to do so.

"Momoicchi is good at what she does. And we have to cut off somewhere."

_No you don't_, Tetsuya thinks. A day once a month seems like a lot, but the Empire isn't small. How many of his subjects have even seen the Emperor with their own eyes? To Tetsuya Akashi had been little more than a faraway and equally inconsequential figure up until just recently. Until his grandfather decided that he was finally putting an end to Tetsuya's presence.

Kise pauses on the other side of the smaller door that leads out of the waiting room and into the main hall. The main hall is where every corridor and staircase connects to, where everything can be reached from by shortest possible distance. The room is smaller than the name would suggest, but it is filled with a constant stream of people, hurrying to and fro on their various duties. Guards are posted here and there to have an eye on the surrounding chaos. A staircase leads up to the upper floors to their right. They ascended that very same staircase the day before on their way to the Imperial chambers.

Despite the obvious hurry everyone is in, each of them finds time to bow to Tetsuya, already accustomed to his presence.

"I could show you the outside now, if you want." Kise offers, but doesn't look too enthused about the prospect. "The gardens are lovely and you might want to see the stables. Ah, wait maybe not the stables, I've heard they haven't yet taken care of the elephant problem."

Tetsuya remembers someone mentioning elephants during the banquet, but he had paid it little mind.

"But maybe you want to see the training grounds?" Kise's words are finished off with the very loud and unmistakable growl of his stomach. Tetsuya thinks he sees Kise flush, but isn't sure with the dim lighting of the doorway.

"Or we could go eat something." Tetsuya offers. He isn't that hungry himself, as he is still drawing from Kaede's sweet bun, but Kise's smile is so grateful and full of relief, he doesn't mind.

They eat their lunch in the small dining hall in the West wing, where the servants of that area take their meals. They run into Murasakibara and Midorima who are eating their lunch together and Kise tells him later, that they usually eat with the servants. Only Akashi likes to take his meals in his room, occasionally inviting his guards to join him. Interestingly enough, no one bothers with protocol in here. Tetsuya gathers some curious glances, but that's it. No bows, no muttered 'Kuroko-samas'. It is surprisingly refreshing.

Kise makes an effort to singlehandedly provide conversation for a table of four people, while Murasakibara doesn't even pretend he is interested in anything else but his food. Tetsuya listens, because no matter how much Kise rambles sometime, he's quickly learned that he also provides a lot of useful information in between - purposely or not. Midorima makes it clear from the beginning that he is not only completely uninterested in what Kise has to say - to completely no avail - he also makes a point of antagonizing him any chance he gets. Despite that, Tetsuya notes how he doesn't follow up on his threat to sit away at another table. He also notes the small hand mirror he has put on the table beside him. Expensive taste, if he has ever seen one.

"Anyway, so I told Hana that I wasn't interested in her and she started crying. That's why I don't like girls confessing to me, they always make me feel bad." Kise pouts and looks at Midorima for validation.

"It is utterly beyond me what any woman of quality could want with you." Midorima says dryly.

"My good looks obviously." Kise replies, eyes slightly widened as though he cannot quite belief Midorima would miss something this obvious.

"Highly unlikely." Midorima adjusts his spectacles and finally bestows his full attention on Kise. "Attractiveness is entirely subjective, and while you are what is commonly considered attractive, your personality negates any possible positive impression. Besides, anyone with two eyes can see that you are barely above average compared to Akashi."

"Not fair Midorimacchi, comparing me to Akashicci." Kise pouts and Tetsuya thinks he detects a hint of smugness in Midorima's following 'hmph'.

Tetsuya thinks it's just as well that they likely forgot he is even here. Although, moments later Murasakibara leans in and whispers conspiratorially, "they will go on forever like this, if we don't stop them," before going back to munching his food.

Midorima's right eye starts twitching. Kise intensifies his mock-pouting. Tetsuya decides it is time to go.

Oddly enough, for as much of an airhead that he usually is, it takes one gentle touch to Kise's elbow and he gets the hint. "Alright, it's time for us to go." Kise bounces to his feet and waves happily at the people still sitting down. Muraskibara raises a hand and waves once, without looking up. Midorima mutters an angry 'go die' under his breath. Tetsuya just follows him up, careful not to tangle his robes with the furniture. He really needs to do something about that. Moving is unnecessarily complicated in his momentary wardrobe.

Kise makes true on his words and shows him the palace's exterior. The gardens are a sight to behold, masterfully groomed bushes and flowers, arranged in intricate patterns that invite the eye to rest. A cherry orchard stands in full bloom, despite the lateness of spring. Kise tells him of the legend surrounding these trees, according to which the very first Emperor of the Rakuzan line slept beneath a cherry tree and had a dream that foretold the birth of his Empire. As a sign of gratitude he planted the orchard. The legend further continued that the Rakuzan line would forever be blessed by the gods, as long as they lived under the shadow of cherry trees.

Tetsuya couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness at that. He touched a hand to the trunk of one of the trees. The bark was rough under his hands. There were no signs of gods, only the overwhelming scent of cherry blossoms.

Kise offered to show him the stables next, but Tetsuya declined, mindful of his clothes. He didn't want to get in trouble by getting manure on his clothes on the first day. He also didn't want to burden the servants with trying to wash manure out of the flimsy fabric of his robes.

When they returned to Tetsuya's rooms, they were awaited by one of the Imperial messengers, informing them that the two of them were expected for dinner with Akashi later.

He supposed that had been as much reprieve as he could hope for.


	4. Red Fraction

Careful, dub-con ahead

* * *

><p>Seijuro isn't one to complain, but the wedding has left him swamped with work. Despite, or maybe even because of that, he decides to have dinner with Tetsuya. He has agreed to this marriage after all, it is time to find out more about the mystery that is Kuroko Tetsuya.<p>

Tetsuya defies a lot of Seijuro's expectations, and he is sure as hell going to find out why.

The servant he sent to the kitchens returns to inform him the preparations are complete. Seijuro hadn't realized how late it had become already. His study doesn't have a window, but the state of his candles tells him, he's been in here for hours.

It's just as well. The sooner he gets done with the political aftermath of his wedding, the sooner he can take care of important things. Seijuro divides the scrolls on his desk into piles. One for his courier to pick up later, one for the scrolls he has already worked through and one, significantly smaller for the scrolls that are yet untouched.

A knock alerts him to Shintarou's presence. Atsushi is right behind him, looming in the doorway.

"Shintarou. Atsushi." Seijuro acknowledges their presence with a nod. Shintarou replies in kind and walks to stand directly in front of the huge desk that dominates the room. In his hands he holds a small hand mirror. With glass being as rare and expensive as it is, Seijuro can only commend Shintarou for his skills in attaining his lucky item, the court astrologer divines every day.

"We've had a minor mishap with one of the guests, but it has already been taken care of. Other than that everything went smoothly. Ah, and the ambassador from Seiho requested an immediate audience." Shintarou doesn't attempt to hide his disapproval.

"You told him that's impossible, I presume?"

"Of course."

"The guest?"

"A retainer from Yosei who got in a fight." Shintarou clears his throat. "With one of the vases in the grand foyer. Hayama intervened before any damage could be done but the retainer put up a fight. Expect remuneration from Yosei tomorrow at the latest."

"I see."

"Don't forget the elephants." Atsushi adds from the door and Seijuro raises his eyebrows at Shintarou.

"Elephants?"

"The ambassador from Hindustan brought a pair of white elephants as a gift and apology for not being able to attend." Shintarou grimaces slightly. "The horses aren't happy."

"Will that be a problem?"

"Nebuya is taking care of it." Shintarou says and leaves open what 'taking care of' means in this case. Not that Seijuro cares. Extravagant gifts like this aren't meant to be practical or useful; they are merely a way of showing off wealth, and inconveniencing the receiving party.

"I see." Seijuro finishes the cleanup of his desk. "Dinner is arranged, we should go."

He's ordered the servants to prepare dinner in Tetsuya's rooms, as he has no intention to invite his consort into his own rooms. Tetsuya may have come from a powerful family, but the Teikou lands are far, and here at the court, his status depends solely on his relationship to Seijuro. He won't offer Tetsuya his trust, before he hasn't tested him.

Daiki is already waiting in Tetsuya's living, along with a fidgeting Ryouta. Servants have brought several small tables and pillows and laying out everything in a wide circle. All that's missing is the food - and Tetsuya.

"Satsuki insisted Kuroko get a change of wardrobe." Daiki says with a shrug, when he catches Seijuro's glance. "I don't know what all the fuss was about, he looked normal to me."

"You should trust Momoicchi on things like this." Ryouta says petulantly. He then turns to Seijuro. "Momoicchi forced him to go, don't be mad with him."

Seijuro gives him as much as a baffled looks as he ever allows himself to. "Why would I be mad with Tetsuya?" He asks, more as a challenge than that he actually needs to know.

Ryouta knows him well enough not to fall for it. His expression relaxes and he affects them with his usual happy smile. "I knew Akashicchi would understand."

Of course he would. He is not unreasonable after all. But then he remembers their conversation yesterday and it makes sense. They are empathetic beings after all.

_"__Do you really think that is a good idea?"_

_"__Are you really asking me that?"_

_"__No, of course not." Ryouta is clearly uncomfortable but he doesn't challenge Seijuro more than he already has. _

_"__If you have doubts about your ability to perform…" Seijuro doesn't finish the sentence, knowing full well Ryouta, and the others for that matter, can follow._

_"__That's a low blow Akashicchi." Ryouta huffs out a blow of air and shakes his head._

_"__I don't like it either." Shintarou says and leaves it at that. Atsushi shrugs and Daiki acts as though the whole thing doesn't concern him. _

_"__You can always refuse." Seijuro says with just the slightest hint of an edge to his voice. _

_"__Now _that_ was a low blow, Kise." Daiki says but his voice lacks any of its usual bite._

Of course, refusal is something he'd never accept.

He supposes his guards' reactions stem from more than just their unwillingness, but empathy has never been a relatable concept. He is able to emulate it at times and he understands it somewhat on an intellectual level but it's just that, an abstract idea of little real value. Compassion, ultimately, is a weakness.

Tetsuya enters with Satsuki on his heels. Seijuro is no stranger to people attempting to entice him with their attire; his harem is full of those after all, so he is a pleasant surprise that Tetsuya went for something different. None of the absurd frilly gowns or dresses that would befit a woman, but a narrow cut robe over loosely fitted hakama pants. The cut of course is exquisite and the color chosen to flatter Tetsuya, rather than swallow him up like all the other things he's seen him in. Satsuki's taste is impeccable as always.

"Good evening." Tetsuya's bow is perfect, down to the placement of his feat. A feat that even Shintarou barely ever pulls off, not to mention completely fails to make look natural.

"Good evening, Tetsuya." Seijuro greets and gestures to the seating arrangement. Tetsuya walks to one of the pillows and sinks to his knees with the same effortless ease that he affords on everything else.

Atsushi and Ryouta follow him easily enough, taking up their seats on one of Tetsuya's side, while Shintarou kneels with all the grace of a stick. Daiki just glowers at him and sinks down eventually, making no effort at all to follow the proper procedural. Sitting and dining in the old traditional seiza position is rarely practiced these days, but Seijuro finds there is a lot to learn from forcing proud man to sit on their knees for a long period of time.

Seijuro waits until everyone is seated before he sinks down graciously himself. HIs own pillow is lightly elevated by a wooden platform, to distinguish his higher rank. Satsuki catches his eye and bows to excuse herself and alert the kitchen.

Tetsuya is perfectly behaved during dinner. Seijuro leaves it to his guards to make most of the conversation, but he is listening very closely to everything that's been said. Tetsuya is perfectly polite, yet rather close-lipped about his personal matters.

"So how come you are not the heir of your line?" Daiki tries, after too much sake and a proclivity for tactless questions. Seijuro saves the reprimand, mainly because he's curious himself.

"That, you have to ask my estimated grandmother." Tetsuya says with no inflection whatsoever. He has barely touched his sake, giving him a clear advantage over the two currently trying to gauge his life story from him. To be fair, Seijuro doubts sobriety would affect any different an outcome.

Tetsuya's used to keeping secrets. That much is certain.

"Your grandmother?" Ryouta hangs half off Daiki's shoulder in an attempt to look at Tetsuya. "What does your grandmother got to do with anything?" At least, when it comes to Ryouta, Seijuro can count on him to keep his wits together enough to overact the playful drunk. Ryouta is not nearly as much of an airhead that he wants others to think he is, and Daiki is all too well versed in providing proper, albeit mostly involuntary, distraction.

"She decided my brother was much more suited to the task." Tetsuya says evenly.

Ryouta frowns. "What about your parents?"

Something flickers through Tetsuya's eyes, a shadow of a memory maybe, but in the fraction of a second it's there, Seijuro thinks he saw something he was never meant to see.

"Shirai Naomi is the current head of the Teikou." Shintarou offers stiffly. "Her daughter died of unknown cause, leaving her children as next in line."

Tetsuya looks up at him, expression unreadable. There's a tiny twitch around his mouth, as though he wanted to speak up but thought better of it at the last minute.

The conversation after that, flounders.

"Did you enjoy the palace tour?"

"I did. Thank you Akashi-sama." Tetsuya's voice is as blank as his expression.

"Did Ryouta entertain you well?" Ryouta makes an undignified sound, as though he's complaining thatSeijuro inquires after his skills as a host. Seijuro pays him no mind."

"He did."

And like this, it continues.

The servants come and go as they bring dish after dish. The sake keeps flowing and Tetsuya's hands are very small and delicate, yet he yields his chopsticks with absolute elegance and precision. He barely touched his food, Seijuro notes.

He gives the servants a signal, cutting off the flow of sake. Daiki shoots him a very reproachful glare, but doesn't complain and Ryouta allows his mask to slip for merely a second before he pulls himself together. Alcohol is a way too dangerous coping mechanism, especially over such a trivial matter.

"Tell me about your family." Seijuro picks up the threads of their conversation. Daiki and Ryouta perk up visibly, while Shintarou shows his interest by turning his head in their direction. Only Atsushi doesn't betray his interest, although Seijuro knows from experience that he is listening.

But none of his guards' reactions come much as a surprise, unlike Tetsuya's. Their eyes meet for a short moment; Tetsuya's are sharp and cold, like shards of mirror glass. For all that he took the others' questions with remarkable calm, Seijuro must have unsettled him.

The temperature seems to have suddenly dropped several degrees.

Tetsuya looks away almost immediately. "Akashi-sama is my family now." Tetsuya's voice is low and slightly higher in pitch, a perfect depiction of demureness.

Seijuro puts down his sake cup in a slow and measured gesture. In his peripheral vision he can see the members of his guard tense in reaction.

"Tetsuya." Seijuro chides softly, but he doesn't effort to hide the edge. "You play your role well. I can see why you have been chosen." He puts little effort in to mask the implications of his words. As much political advantages this marriage might offer, it changes little about its nature.

The line separating Kuroko Tetsuya from a street whore is merely one by word.

Tetsuya's reply is just as ripe with implications, his face remains an impenetrable mask though. "I'm sure Akashi-sama is very wise in saying that."

"Why would you say that?" Seijuro inquires, using his sake cup as an excuse to watch Tetsuya closely. Some opponents give more away when they think themselves unwatched. It must be because of that, that he notices the almost imperceptible tensing of Tetsuya's hands around the chop sticks still in his hands. It only lasts for a few short moments.

"Apologies, I did not mean to overstep my boundaries." Tetsuya's eyelids flutter and he looks down, hands folded now, in the perfect image of contriteness. It might have fooled a lesser man.

How much time and practice must have flown into this facade.

"It's a role." Seijuro reminds him softly, but for the thin edge of steel in his voice. Tetsuya's expression shifts, and for a moment Seijuro can see that cold hardness in his eyes again. For the duration of its presence, Seijuro is almost certain Tetsuya is angry. But then it vanishes, and Tetsuya is back to that carefully blank expression again.

An uncomfortable silence settles among them. Daiki fidgets restless, instincts clearly warring with the obvious absence of a foe to fight. Ryouta's usual spark is slightly dulled and he stares listlessly at his table. Shintarou fiddles with his lucky item, heedless of the small fortune he holds in hands. Even Atsushi has pulled his attention from his food and is watching Tetsuya closely.

He supposes that makes now as good as time as any.

"I'll be honest with you." Seijuro lifts his gaze and lets it rest heavily on Tetsuya, omitting the fact that he never is anything but. "You have no value to me. You can't bear children; you bring little in the terms of power or wealth with you, as I possess both in abundance." He leans forward, willing Tetsuya to look up at him, which he finally does.

The expression in Tetsuya's eyes is similar to those he's already caught glimpses of, but this time he feels a very real chill chase down his spine. And this is the first time that Seijuro sees it in full force, that hint of cold and death that clings to Kuroko Tetsuya like a coat of shadows. Whatever hides beneath Tetsuya's cool façade, is much darker than his outward appearance would invite to belief.

Seijuro wonders just how similar they truly are.

"Ultimately, you are expendable should you prove a liability." Seijuro doesn't change his inflection; he doesn't have to. No threat of his is ever uttered lightly. "You have potential though. It is up to you what you make of that potential though. I won't hold your hand. Prove yourself useful to me and you will gain my respect." He doesn't add that he has high expectations for Tetsuya. He is not the kind of person who would need incentive, but rather the kind of person who'd glean too much information from a statement like that.

"As you wish, Akashi-sama." The ice is gone from Tetsuya's gaze. Without it, his presence seems to diminish until he almost blends with the background. Quite remarkable, truly.

"There's no reason for formality. I have enough people licking my boots as it is."

"Very well." Tetsuya says and there's a slight change in the tone of his voice. "Akashi-kun."

Shintarou makes a vaguely protesting sound next to him. Seijuro ignores it.

"That will do."

They finish dinner and wait patiently until the servants have cleaned up. When the last servant has left the room Akashi stands up. His guards follow his example and for lack of a better option, Tetsuya follows suit.

A sinking feeling spreads in Tetsuya's stomach when Akashi leads the way into his bedroom. A feeling much too close to fear. Tetsuya hesitates in the doorway but Akashi beckons him closer and with little choice, he walks in. He can't help but think of what his mentor had said to him, such a seemingly endless time ago. _Open spaces Kuroko-kun. Never let your enemies back you against a wall. _

He's on edge even before the door closes behind him. And even though he keeps to the center of the room, even though he's fast and impossible to pin down if he doesn't want to, Tetsuya also knows that he can't escape what is coming. Too much hinges on Akashi's cooperation.

"This is in no way personal." Akashi says after he's sat down in one of the arm chairs that are grouped around the small table at the other side of the room. Tetsuya fights off every instinct that urges him to take a battle stance.

Seijuro waves a hand, so casual it would hurt if Tetsuya were the sentimental type.

He takes a step back but there is nowhere he could go. His hand falls to his leg on primal instinct, but there is no knife strapped there this time, no hidden weapon to defend himself. HIs thoughts jump to the knife hidden underneath his nightstand, but he can't fight this one. So he thinks of Shizuka instead. Shizuka whose life lies in his hands.

"I'm sorry Kurokocchi." Kise mutters without meeting his eyes. There's no trace now of the cheerful man he's come to know, nor of the rather heavy alcohol intoxication from earlier. Tetsuya lets him and Daiki grab his arms and haul him over to the bed. He doesn't fight them as they push him down, hands firm but without force.

The ceiling above him yields no comfort.

"I told you." Akashi says from the other side of the room. "I have no intention of fucking you. But the deed must be done." He smirks, cold and twisted and so _different_ from what he's been before. Tetsuya has to clench his fists until his nails dig into the palms of his hands in order not to fight back. He could, the Gods know he could, but if he does, everything would have been in vain.

"You should feel honored Tetsuya." He doesn't know this man, doesn't know what changed; only that something did change and that everything this Akashi says spikes a very guttural fear in him.

Murasakibara - or is it Midorima? - pulls his legs apart. He catches Kise's eyes for a moment, shadowed with guilt but there is no hesitation in his movements as he pushes Tetsuya's shoulder into the sheets.

_It's okay._ Tetsuya thinks. _If this is what I have to do, then so be it._ Tetsuya wills his body to go completely limp.

Cold hands pull on his clothes, fabric rips and then he feels the sting of air on his lower body. He can't think of Shizuka like this, naked and exposed so he thinks of blood instead. Blood and cold unyielding stone under his skin.

Something cold presses against his anus, cold and wet and Tetsuya jerks on instinct, away from the intrusion but he can't move. He knows what's happening, knows what will happen, as his brother shared the details all too willingly. His mentor amended most of the gruesome facts, but warned him either way it wouldn't be a nice feeling.

"Relax." Midorima commands tightly and Tetsuya does, because he hadn't even realizes he'd gone tense. It doesn't hurt. Not really. But the feeling is still uncomfortable, something - a finger probably - intruding into a part of him where it has no place being.

He thinks of blood on grey stone and it gets easier. He's doing this for a reason. He's been through worse.

This is nothing.

It doesn't stop the faint burn of tears in his eyes.

He clings to that thought as Midorima works him open. He clings to that thought when a strange sort of pleasure fills his body and he clings to that thought when Midorima enters him. It doesn't hurt, they're careful enough, but the feeling is still an intrusion and Tetsuya wants to push it out with all his might.

It's not painful, and maybe that makes it all the more worse. He feels an occasional spike of pleasure, an odd sensation whenever Midorima seems to hit a certain spot within him. He can feel the heat pool in his belly, slightly, not enough to actually arouse him but still enough to make him feel flushed hot and restless. He bites his lip not to pant too obviously, but there's little he can do to stop his erratic breathing.

Midorima eventually finishes, coming with a low grunt and blunt nails on Tetsuya's thighs. His reprieve is short-lived however, as Murasakibara takes his place. Aomine and Kise have loosened their grips at this point, but fight is the last thought on Tetsuya's mind right now.

Murasakibara pulls him up and against him, the shift in position drawing a sound from Tetsuya's lips he's too late to catch. Tetsuya wraps his arms around Murasakibara's huge shoulders, as it seems the natural thing to do.

_If you can't beat them, join them._ Someone once said that to him, but Tetsuya can't remember who it was. Everything is slightly fuzzy and out of focus. Murasakibara sinks into him with ease, now that he's been loosened up.

Someone chuckles, he can't tell whom and then there are hands on his face, tilting it until lips press onto his. A streak of yellow catches his eyes, it must be Kise then and Tetsuya just allows the flow to take him away, closing his eyes as an instinct he didn't know he had takes over.

Kise's tongue is wet against his lips and Tetsuya opens up naturally. It's easier, after all, to just go with the flow. Something presses into his right hand, something hot and smooth and he follows the movement as well, closing his hand around the shaft to the sound of low moaning. He can't tell who makes the sound, it doesn't really matter.

The pleasure that had been so elusive moments before, builds up steadier now, a constant surge of heat. Kise breaks the kiss, moist breath ghosts over his face and then the lips latch on to the skin under his ear. This time it's him that's moaning but he's too overwhelmed to register much else. He's vaguely aware that his hand is using on its own now, up and down, up and down to the melody of rough moans. Murasakibara inside of him is a steady source of heat and pleasure and he feels like falling and falling until the world around him disappears.

Something pokes against his lips and he opens up, welcoming the thick shaft that pushes in. It's hard to breath past it, but then a blur of blue enters into his vision, Aomine's face pulled into ecstasy and the thought swims away like everything else in his mind. The air is filled with groans and moans and so many iterations of his name that Tetsuya feels almost worshipped, like he's a God in his shrine and the people around him fuel his powers with their touch.

The thought is nice and cushioning and Tetsuya gives himself over to it, allowing the pleasure to wash away everything else. The heat in his body keeps building but there's still something missing. He reaches out with his left hand, grabs on when he meets skin - a body - and he pulls until the body falls against him, naked skin on naked skin and the heat is multiplying but still not enough.

"Kurokocchi." Hot breath against his ear and then lips and Tetsuya's body arches against his will, he grazes his teeth over the penis in his mouth accidentally and Aomine's hand lands tight in his hair. Murasakibara shifts again and Tetsuya's moan is almost a scream as the motion hits him just right. He's dizzy and moaning and such a mess it would be embarrassing if anything in him were still able to care.

Aomine grunts and tightens his hold on his hair. The body he's pulled against him shifts, and then there's Midorima in his vision, skin slightly flushed and spectacles nowhere in sight and even though he just had his turn he's already hard again, rubbing himself aback into hardness. Tetsuya reaches out without thinking, hand closing around his erection like it belongs there and nowhere else. Midorima makes a choked sound, surprised and his eyes fall closed with the contented sigh that follows.

"Kuro-chin." Murasakibara's moans sound very much like his name and he's a God again, four beings bent to his will and then his eyes meet Akashi's, coincidentally or maybe pulled by strings of fate. He can't look away from that gaze, despite the sensations pulling on his mind, despite the overwhelming surge of pleasure that threatens to swallow him up.

Akashi's eyes are intense, locked on him and in that moment a thought strikes him, fleeting, just dancing out of his reach, but he feels it is important, essential that he grasps it, and it's then that the force that's built up inside of him, finally releases. It's like every little sensation that's been building up to this point coalesces into one. It's so powerful it wipes his mind clean of everything; the world dissolves in nothing but bliss and pleasure. It leaves him floating and filled with such a deep peace Tetsuya could cry.

The first thing he notes when he comes back to is the warmth that seems to encompass him completely. It's like a fuzzy blanket, but the sensation slowly fades, giving way to other things. He feels heavy, like all the energy's been drained from his limbs. There's a bitter taste on his tongue, remnants of something salty and sticky, trailing over his lips and cheeks. His hands are covered in the same substance, and with the realization of what it is, comes sobriety.

He's alone on the bed now, sweaty and covered in the cum of five people, including his own. HIs brother, Tetsuya thinks bitterly, would surely rejoice if he knew, now that he has finally become the whore he always saw in him.

He feels around for the blanket to cover himself, but since he's lying on top of the bed, that proves to be rather difficult. Akashi is alone in his armchair, watching silently as Tetsuya attempts to regain what's left his dignity.

Tetsuya's hand stops. His skin is starting to cool and being covered in the bodily fluids of various men isn't exactly comfortable. It's also not something he ought to be ashamed of. All of this serves a higher purpose, if anything, he should be proud. No matter how much pain he has to go through, if it ensures the safety of the people he cares for, it's all worth it.

He sits up in his bed, taking a careful moment to assess the condition of his body. Nothing hurts, but he doesn't feel confident in the strength of his legs. It seems as though they'll collapse under him the moment he gets up.

He can feel Akashi's eyes on his skin, almost like a physical touch. The shame threatens to flare up again but Tetsuya refuses to give in. He lifts his head to look into Akashi's eyes. The gold of his left eye seems to be burning. His thoughts drift to the knife hidden away under the nightstand. Akashi's posture is relaxed, outwardly, but Tetsuya can read the subtle signs. Slightly parted lips, legs spread open just wide enough to relieve any possible pressure and chest movement that is slightly too fast to be regular breathing.

And for a moment he can see it as clear as day. How he lets his body fall open in invitation, skin that's still glistening with sweat and promise and maybe Akashi would even be lured in by the view. It would be so easy then, as easy as breathing.

But the knife Kagami had given him was gone, just his hands remained, his hands he couldn't use, because he had made a promise to Kagami.

_Promise me._

_Why?_

_Because this is the only thing I can do for you._

Ultimately, it's a good thing Akashi would never pick up the leftovers of other men.

Tetsuya can no longer bear the silence.

"Was the price worth it?" He asks. The sound of his voice leaves little doubt as to what he's been up to. The noises forced from his throat have left his voice raspy and hoarse.

It's getting cold, but the fact doesn't quite register with him.

Akashi doesn't reply in word, but evaluates him with a cool calculating gaze. The twisted personality he's glimpsed at earlier seems to be gone for now. Tetsuya feels exhaustion settle in his bones. Not just from his physical activities. The weight of his task weighs down heavily on him. He pulls the blanket around him, more an act of heat preserving than protecting his dignity. He wants to know what Akashi is thinking, wants to know if all of this, if _he_ was worth it. But it's not Akashi who can give him that answer.

"We are the same." He says and to his own surprise, he sounds bitter. Akashi's eyes grow cold but before he can say anything, Tetsuya beats him to it. "I've wondered, but I guess that answers the question. You don't even know what you bought with this marriage, do you?"

He keeps his eyes on Akashi's, strangely indifferent to the fear he's felt earlier. He wonders how Akashi would look, if he told him the truth, the whole ugly truth of why he's here.

He resists the urge to touch a hand to the scar on his neck.

"A whore." Akashi says voice as cold as his eyes. The absurdity almost pulls a laugh from Tetsuya's lungs. Almost.

"A whore with a right to the throne." This time, the surprise on Akashi's face is obvious. His eyebrows shoot and his eyes widen. Only for a moment, before he pulls himself together again. Tetsuya feels his lips curl into a cold smile on their own volition.

Maybe it's the aftershock of his orgasm, or maybe he just feels fatalistic, but Tetsuya finds himself with the need to let Akashi share the painful truth of his twisted existence.

"So you didn't know?"

"What are you talking about?" Akashi's voice is low and ice cold. In any other state Tetsuya might have shivered at the warning undertone. Now, all he feels is a deep bitterness. Akashi is always in control, not only of his emotions, but also his fate. As similar as they are, ultimately they are as far apart in position as it could be. Tetsuya clenches his hand around the hilt of a knife that isn't there.

Blood can't always be the answer.

"My father," He says, all the anger gone now, "was your father's cousin."

"Those were mere rumors." Akashi says tightly, but Tetsuya can read in his eyes that he knows better.

"The rumors are true." Tetsuya says evenly. _Not that it saved mother_. "What do you think that makes me?" He sounds more provocative than he intended to, but his grip on his emotions is feeble right now.

Akashi's eyes are hard when he replies. "Nothing."

_Of course, _Tetsuya thinks. How could it _ever_ be different?

"Maybe you are right." And somehow that thought hurts in places it shouldn't. "But my existence is a risk in itself. A claim is a claim, how insignificant it may seem." _It didn't save me either_. "The question is not why your ministers wanted me married to you, but why my family agreed. _I_ have no assets other than my family name, which is all but useless to you. But married to you, my claim is void. Why do you think my family was so willing to give that up?"

Akashi's eyes narrow at him, cold and sharp.

"There is no one in line after you." Tetsuya adds, voice carefully blank. "Except me."

Akashi doesn't reply, but it is clear from his expression – cold and drawn tight – that he's teetering on the edge of that other him, the one Tetsuya had caught a glimpse of earlier. More than just a glimpse.

"A rumor we have your word on." Akashi says after a few more beats. "Don't presume you could live up to be a threat. I won't loosen my grasp until you are all dead." There's the darkness again, sharp and dangerous in Akashi's eyes.

But this time, Tetsuya matches it with his own. They stare at each other, icy steel and the burning cold of a frozen flame. For a moment the world seems to have stopped in its tracks.

Maybe Akashi sees something in him then, maybe he realizes how much danger Tetsuya hides in his heart, holds in his blood. Something in Akashi seems to draw back and a moment later he has returned to his usual calm self-

"A marriage among high social circles is always a trade." Akashi says evenly. "Power, influence or money." He shrugs dismissively. "It's nothing new. Your family," His eyes flash momentarily, "made a bad deal, that is all."

Tetsuya rubs his hands over his blanket, leaving behind flecks of dried cum. He doesn't think he's ever wanted a bath this badly in his life.

"I haven't been traded off for wealth or power." Tetsuya says just as evenly_._ If only it were that simple. But it's not, and Tetsuya can't divulge the real reason why he's here, why he's been traded of like cattle, why his family was far too willing to give away their first born son. Why it meant so little to them to give away Tetsuya's life to someone who had no reason to value it.

"They're silencing you. And me." He's willing Akashi to finally understand what he's trying to tell him, willing him to draw the connection himself, because he'd never believe Tetsuya if he'd laid it down for him.

Akashi arches his eyebrows. His look when he scrutinizes Tetsuya is contemplative. "Your claim holds no value for your family." He concludes eventually. It is not a question. He doesn't give away what he thinks of the revelation.

"But it is there, and if played right I could have ended up on the throne."

"You're making little sense." Akashi says with disdain. "What point is there in silencing you? You hold no worth, even your heritage puts you too far back into the line of succession to be of use. Do you even realize how many people stand between the throne and you? In addition to the glaring lack of support from your family." A cruel twists plays on Akashi's mouth. "So what is it that you're trying to tell me?"

"What would have happened if the Imperial court had learned of this relation?" Tetsuya counters. Akashi frowns and opens his mouth to reply but shuts it a moment later.

"Nothing really." He says slowly. "Except…" Except that it would have given the Emperor, and by extension the court, the right to nose into the Teikou's business. Something they've tried before only with little effect on their results. Despite the interlacing family history, the Teikou never officially joined under the Empire's umbrella. Their wealth and power is a continued threat to the Emperor, only barely held in check through marital bonds.

The Teikou don't owe Akashi taxes, not by law at least, let alone accountability.

The thing that Akashi's ministers failed to understand was, that the Teikou value their independence over everything else. And as power hungry as they are, it is a different form of power they seek.

His claim could have been the perfect opening ticket into the affairs of the Teikou. As long as Akashi was in power, Tetsuya's claim was worthless. Akashi could have used the opening to widen his influence, to finally put the Teikou in their rightful place.

It is obvious, that Akashi is very much aware of that.

"What does that make you then?" He eventually asks. "What compelled your family to sell you like a cheap whore, when they could have the throne instead?"

Tetsuya's response is a bitter smile. It's as much of an answer he _can_ give.

Akashi takes it in, eyes cold and knowing and _judging_. Because Akashi hadn't been wrong, when he called Tetsuya a whore, even though it's one of his own making. Tetsuya's only solace is that it's only a fraction of the answer.

"It must have come in handy that my ministers have little more sense than a monkey." Akashi doesn't seem too perturbed by that fact. "I suppose it is reassuring to know your family doesn't plan my abdication." His tone of voice leaves little doubt as to how little he is threatened by the notion.

Of course, unlike him, Akashi truly is untouchable. Tetsuya has been little more than a pawn in fates hand all his life. The power he held, was never his own.

Everything today has just been too much. Tetsuya wants nothing more than to lie down and let his mind come to rest. So many questions have been raised, so few have been answered.

"Go clean yourself up." Akashi says and stands up. It's not a request, but Tetsuya doesn't really care. Not when his skin itches in too many places and he can still feel the semen leak out of his ass.

"Tetsuya." Akashi's voice holds him back just as he's about to enter the bathroom. He turns around to look at Akashi, who's standing in the doorway, framed by shadows and the aura of true power. "I will find your secret."

Tetsuya finds his patience and capacity for mind games have reached their limits. He smiles then, cold and brittle, the way Kagami once told him looked like razor blades and death. The way, he sometimes felt, was the only way left for him to smile.

"Pray you will never find it."

Tetsuya feels substantially better after taking a bath, even though 'taking a bath' consists of rubbing himself clean with a washcloth dipped in cold water. But he doesn't think he could quite handle it right now to have his three handmaids fuss over him. Not when he has come to terms with what just happened.

Tetsuya feels cold but refreshed after his clean up. But that feeling vanishes as soon as he returns to the bedroom. There is no way to hide what happened here. The air is still heavy with the scent of sex and the bed is an ugly mess.

Tetsuya quickly throws a robe over his form before he goes to open the window. The night air is chill against his skin, but the fresh air does wonders to clear up the stench of the room. It's beautiful night; the moon a beautiful crescent in a star dotted sky. It is peaceful.

The palace itself is rather compact, with expansion upwards rather than sideways. Tetsuya can just barely make out the large tower that overlooks the North wing, a tract that is rather young according to Kise. The living spaces in the West wing are one the second to highest floor, downwards leads a stone wall furbished by too many years. No wonder Kagami had such an easy time climbing up here.

His window looks out the back of the palace, over the garden and some of the smaller side buildings, the servant quarters and even part of the stables. He can make out the shapes of the cherry trees in the distance, blossoms a sickly shade of pink against the pale light of the moon.

It's tempting to just climb down himself, walk in the shadow of those trees and see for himself just how far Akashi's power reaches. But he can't, not with the aftershocks of what his body has been through still clinging to him.

Not when he can still feel their touch on his skin.

Tetsuya turns his back to the enticing sight of freedom. Not for the first time, he thinks, it won't be the last. The air has cleared up, but his bed is still a mess. He checks his wardrobe, but there are no clean sheets. He doesn't feel up to going out and find the nearest linen closet.

It wouldn't be the first time he slept on the floor.

His last act before succumbing to the bone-deep exhaustion in his body is checking under the nightstand for his knife. It might have slid further than he thought, but deep down Tetsuya knows that it's gone. One of the handmaids must have found it.

It's all just the same. Any blade is just an illusion of safety after all.

He falls asleep the moment his head hits the pillow he pulled from the bed.

Ryouta is waiting for him in his reception room, fiddling with a knife, the very same knife the handmaids uncovered earlier in Tetsuya's room. Seijuro's had some thoughts as to why it was there, but ultimately it's yet another piece of the puzzle that is Kuroko Tetsuya. And that puzzle just got more complex this night.

He also expected Shintarou to give him the rundown, but it's not that big of a surprise to see Ryouta instead. He's always been the one with the most social tact, which doesn't necessarily say much, considering the company.

"He's got a scar." Ryouta says without preamble. He slides a finger along the side of his throat. "It's old and barely visible, but…" He puts the knife down on the table. "It goes all the way through." Ryouta doesn't explicitly say it, but Seijuro gets the meaning all the same. It's not a wound anyone should have survived.

Piece after piece, but the puzzle yet eludes him. Akashi picks up the knife and tests its blade against his thumb. It's so sharp it breaks the skin with barely any pressure at all. It's an unusual knife, the handle is just a piece of metal that hasn't been sharpened and the blade is short and slightly curved. He has never seen a knife like this before.

"Anything else?"

Ryouta shrugs. "Aside from that it's his only scar? Nothing." Akashi supposes that it's already more than he could have expected. He puts the knife down. The wound on his thumb is so thin, there's barely any blood flow but the pain is intense all the same.

Seijuro thinks of Tetsuya's small hands closed around the hilt of a knife.

Maybe they truly are the same.

He thinks of what it would feel like if Tetsuya plunged it into his heart.

* * *

><p><strong>*<strong>Hindustan = India


	5. Puzzle Pieces

Tetsuya doesn't see Akashi or any of his guards for the next few days. He is not strictly confined to his rooms, but he's also not encouraged to leave them. When he does try to leave though, his guards insist on following him. They may attempt to make it seem as though they're for his protection but Tetsuya has few illusions about that.

He spends most of his time in the library, reading up on whatever he can find. His meals get served in his rooms; a lonely affair if he'd ever cared for that. Still, it could be worse, he can leave and roam the palace whenever he pleases, and his handmaids have reassured him they'd get him anything his heart could desire.

He visits the gardens as often as he can. He's always preferred being outside and he has found that the orchard makes for a good and undisturbed reading place. There are a few moments when he feels so brittle he could break at the softest of touches and there are moments when he can't shake the feeling of hands on his skin, but they are few and far in between.

And then, one week after he left, Kagami shows up again. It's late evening; Tetsuya is going through his daily training routine, before going to bed. He'd been too tired the first and too sore the second day since his arrival, but he didn't like to slack off his practice for long if he could avoid it. Besides, the familiar movements gave his mind a well-needed reprieve.

There's the faintest of movements among the curtains, a shadow in Tetsuya's peripheral vision, and that's as much warning as he gets before Kagami strikes at him. Tetsuya spins, deflecting Kagami's attacking arm with his right hand while simultaneously jabbing the ring and index finger of his left hand against his wrist. Kagami follows his turn and slams the palm of his hand against Tetsuya's chest, pushing him backwards effectively and Tetsuya allows himself to drop to the floor and roll out of range.

"Good to see you're not out of practice." Kagami says, dropping his combat stance. Tetsuya rolls his eyes.

"It's been less than a month." He says dryly. "Give me your wrist."

Kagami reaches out the arm Tetsuya had jabbed earlier, wincing slightly as he examines it. "Sorry about that." He says, and pushes his thumb in to dislodge the nerve he'd jammed. Kagami curses under his breath.

"You had to use full force, didn't you?" Kagami pulls his arm back and bends his hand a few times, the result obviously satisfying.

"Actually, that wasn't full force. I'm sorry for hurting you though."

Kagami just shrugs. "I guess that means I don't have to worry." He says lightly, but his eyes are fixed on Tetsuya, waiting for any sign he's wrong. Tetsuya doesn't visibly react, but he can't help the images popping up in his mind. Can't help that despite how often he tells himself he wanted it, he still feels like scraping his skin off. He finds he can't quite meet Kagami's eyes.

"Are you alright?" The question is tentative, as though Kagami _knows_ how fragile he truly feels.

Tetsuya stares at his bed, the sheets changed and perfectly white, but he can feel their touches on his skin like an echo. The shame he feels isn't because they had him, but because he's scared of what Kagami could think if he knew.

"I am." He says and his voice sounds exactly as it always does, impassive. Because _nothing_ happened. Nothing he hadn't taken into consideration beforehand, nothing he wasn't perfectly aware would have to be a part of his plan.

"Good." Kagami exhales and flops on his bed. The sheets rustle faintly at the disturbance and Tetsuya _remembers_. So far his nights have been peaceful, but he can't help but wonder if his next nightmare will be the familiar red on grey or if the colors will finally change to something else.

He belatedly realizes that he's been spacing out for quite a while now, and that Kagami is watching him. Kagami's rather impressive eyebrows are drawn down and he looks pensive, worried.

The sweat on his body has turned cold.

Tetsuya thinks Kagami is going to inquire after what's happened, but instead he pulls out a folded piece of paper from his clothes. "Aida asked me to give you this." He hands it to Tetsuya who finally sits down next to him.

He ignores the odd feeling that wells up, sitting next to Kagami on the same bed he's been had by four other men.

Tetsuya unfolds the paper and reveals a hastily scribbled note. He stares at the characters for a moment, before he crumples the letter and holds it into the flame of the candle on his nightstand.

_The canary waits your return._ A private message, just for him. It's more than just saying his niece is missing him, it's Riko's way of telling him he better come back. A familiar feeling of sadness wells in his chest.

"We're running out of time." He says quietly as he watches the paper slowly turn black and then into flakes of dust that dance through the air before falling to the ground. "My brother's wife is pregnant again." Kagami's eyes widen before his face pulls into a displeased frown.

"It's barely been what, three month now, since…" Kagami trails off, waving his hand in a vague manner. "We still have more than a year." He then adds hopefully.

"One year and two months." Tetsuya supplies bleakly. He knows exactly how much time they have left. He could count it down to the day if he wanted to.

"How is Ryouma?" He finally asks.

Kagami evaluates him for a moment before replying: "Good. Riko and Hyuuga have found a good place for him." He pauses for a moment, expression softening before he continues. "It was a good decision. He's safe now."

Tetsuya didn't have a doubt about that, but still, hearing it, makes his heart fill with relief.

"Although your brother has become even more a pain in the ass then before." Kagami grimaces.

"He doesn't suspect anything?"

"Not a thing. He's too busy being in charge and bossing everyone around." Kagami's voice is close to a sneer. "But," he side eyes Tetsuya for a moment before he goes on, "I think he was looking forward to it. He's had a few moments, where he just spaced out, I don't know. He told Izuki he always wanted a son." A flash of bitterness crosses over Kagami's face. "But I guess now that Haruka is pregnant again, that's all done with."

Tetsuya makes a noncommittal sound.

"Shizuka's fine though." Kagami says with a careful note of gentleness in his voice.

Tetsuya thinks of the message Aida sent him. Of course, she didn't tell Kagami. He wonders what it would have taken to take her away instead of her brother. What it would have cost them. He would have paid any price, he thinks. They should have risked it, even at the cost of all their careful laid out plans. When all they have is so little time on their hands.

Kagami touches him gently on the shoulder. "Hey." he says softly and Tetsuya realizes belatedly that he's crying. "It was the right decision. There's no way we could have taken her away without seeming suspicious, without _anyone_ noticing."

"We could have tried." Tetsuya's voice sounds hoarse and bereft of the feelings his tears betray.

"And we would have died trying." Kagami says simply. Tetsuya knows he's right. If he weren't, he wouldn't be here. It's the reason their plan builds so much on power that isn't their own.

"We still have time." Kagami says, and pats his back. "It will be fine, you'll see." And Tetsuya believes him, for he has little else choice.

He rubs away the tears still trailing down his face. "What about the others?"

Kagami's face falls and he looks away. "Izuki's fine but Kiyoshi's not good. He'll never be able to use his leg properly again and it's giving him a hard time. But," He tries a hopeful smile. "Aida has asked him to teach the young ones and so far he really seems to enjoy sharing his knowledge." _But it's not the same_, is what he seems to want to add.

Tetsuya stares at the ceiling. "I'll serve him up my brother's leg." He says, and his inflection doesn't give away if he's joking. Truth be told, he doesn't even know himself. The anger simply runs too deep. Kagami stares at him for a moment before trying a grin.

"You're damn scary if you want to."

"If you say so." There's another stretch of silence before Kagami shifts and Tetsuya decides that the ceiling doesn't have any worthwhile secrets to offer.

"Kuroko." Kagami starts and Tetsuya already knows what's coming. There's no way he would just let that go. "Did…" He swallows. "I know the rules." He swallows again and Tetsuya wishes he would look somewhere else, but Kagami's watching him closely. Kagami knows him well enough after all. "Did he do anything to you?"

Tetsuya can't help it, he laughs. It's a short bitter sound that scratches his throat like sandpaper. "_He_ didn't do anything." _He didn't have to._ Kagami looks at him, and in this moment Tetsuya hates the fact that he never properly learned to hide his thoughts and feelings. He can see Kagami working through the information, bit after bit, and he can pinpoint the exact moment he draws the conclusion. He only wishes there were more possibilities for variance. But Kagami _does_ know the rules.

"What did they do?" Kagami bolts from his seat and has Tetsuya'a shoulders in a tight grip, tumbling them both forward and down on the bed, in about the time it takes him to blink, and also the time it takes for Kagami to realize just what he's actually doing. His face, previously drawn into a grimace of worry, dissolves into shock and then horror and he flings himself back so violently he almost dislodges the carpet in the process.

_Nothing,_ is what he wants to say, but the word won't come. He opens his mouth to say something else, but he'll never know what he was actually going to say that moment, because they're not safe and they're not home and there is still a guard posted in front of Tetsuya's rooms.

The soft tap tap of footsteps outside Tetsuya's doors is all the warning they get. Kagami's eyes widen for the fraction of a second before he's up and at the window. He gives himself a moment to look at Tetsuya, sympathy, worry, apology - all of it written on his face.

And then he's gone.

Tetsuya stares at the curtains, moving softly as though Kagami was waving goodbye. Steps pause in front of the bedroom door and there is a soft knock and then a voice. "Kuroko-sama, is everything alright?" Tetsuya looks to the nightstand, thinks of the knife that's no longer there.

He forgot to ask Kagami for a replacement.

"Yes." He calls back. "I just stumbled over the carpet. There's a long pause, as though the guard is unsure if he should ask to come in.

"I thought I heard a voice."

"That was me." Tetsuya says with a deathly flat voice. "Apologies for the disturbance. I am going to bed now." The silence behind his door is pregnant with implications, but in the end his word suffices to silence the curious guard. He might be only a pawn, he might not even be in Akashi's favor, but he _is_ the Imperial consort.

Kagami doesn't come back after that.

He doesn't sleep well that night. He wakes from a nightmare, bathed in sweat, but can't remember what it was about. Elusive images haunt him every time he closes his eyes and it takes hours for him finally fall back to sleep. It feels like barely a second passed before he is woken by Ayame's gentle voice and sunlight on his face.

"Good morning, Kuroko-sama." She greets cheerfully. "Have you rested well?" Among his servants, she is the most cheerful and outgoing, albeit in a subtler and less intrusive way than Kise so often is. She has long black hair; she usually wears in a long braid on her right side. She's rather small and rather frail, the complete opposite of long stiff Sumire with her carefully crafted bun.

"Yes." Tetsuya replies, the same as every morning, regardless of his actual state. She can tell, by the looks she gives him, but she never calls him out on it. Ayame smiles and bends over the bed to pull off the cover. She had been the one to find him sleeping on the floor after that night. She had seen the state of the bed and she had made as little a deal out of it as possible, ushering him into the bathroom into the hands of her colleagues with resolute words and quietly changed the sheets. Ever since then she had taken it upon herself to make his bed anew every day.

It doesn't ease the feeling of phantom touches that sometimes still clings to his skin, but it helps to know his bed is clean when he falls into it at night.

Sumire, one of the other two handmaids, is already waiting with a silken robe she holds out for him to slip in. Sumire is the complete opposite of Ayame, in that she is strict and courteous to a fault, perfectly deferential with none of Ayame's lighthearted personality to smooth the cold edges.

"My mother used to make me hot cocoa before I went to bed." Ayame says lightly from behind him. Sumire gives her a disapproving look but doesn't dare to speak up. "She would put in this special ingredient, it's called vanilla, maybe your highness has heard of it? It did wonders to put me to sleep. I still have the recipe; if Kuroko-sama would like, I could bring some tonight? It's a flavor right from heaven" She makes it sound casual, but it is fairly obvious what she is trying to convey.

"Ayame." Sumire stands up abruptly. "You may help Shion with the bathwater. I will take care of the rest here." Ayame stops in her tracks, confusion lining her face as she looks from Sumire to Tetsuya.

"I'm sure Kuroko-_dono_ would like to take his bath soon." Sumire, for all her usual submissive demeanor, suddenly sounds very much assertive and snappy.

Ayame gives her a somewhat annoyed glance, but puts down the sheet she was pulling on. "Sure." She slips off the bed and walks past them, but pauses next to Tetsuya. "I'll bring you some later." She says warmly and leaves, Sumire's scowl deepens.

"Apologies, Kuroko-dono." She says with a small bow. "Your bath has been prepared for you, if Kuroko-dono has any additional wishes, please let me know."

Tetsuya accepts her words and follows Ayame to take his morning bath. He's gotten used to their intrusion into his privacy. They never comment or make him uncomfortable, even when they uncovered the marks of his wedding night, they remained respectful.

It's only then, in the comfort of hot water and Ayame's mindless chatter that Tetsuya allows himself a melancholic thought. He remembers vanilla, remembers it as the scent that always clung to his mother, the scent of the sweet drink she liked to drink and share with him.

He just can't remember the taste anymore.

One of Akashi's personal messengers is waiting for him in his living room when he's finished with his bath.

Freshly bathed and dressed, with breakfast in near sight, he already feels better, but the feeling plummets as soon as he spots the man. He wears the standard uniform of an Imperial courier, but he only bears the insignias of a palace messenger.

He carries the faintest of sneers, nose upturned as though he thinks his work beneath him, but his voice is impeccably polite.

"Akashi-sama expects you to partake in today's court meeting. Afterwards, you are expected to have lunch with his Imperial Majesty. I am to escort you. The court meeting starts in an hour, please prepare yourself as you see fit until then." The messenger bows stiffly and then looks expectantly at him.

Tetsuya acknowledges the message with a nod, which doesn't seem quite what was expected, as the man pulls a somewhat sour look. But he bows again and retreats into Tetsuya's reception room.

He has to hurry up with his breakfast, as he has yet to change into his formal wear. What he wears during his own private time is completely up to his decision, as Akashi generally does not seem to care about his wardrobe. But there is a strict protocol in place for what to wear on official occasions.

They dress him in a formal robe, similar in cut to the one Akashi wears in office. It's held in a deep saturated shade of purple, stitched with yellow and white poppies as opposed to the usual theme of lilies and lotuses. Thankfully, it's lighter and easier to move around in, than most of his other formal clothes.

The messenger leads him through the same set of corridors Kise did last time, but unlike the blond, he doesn't fill the silence with chatter. He's avoided thinking about Kise, or any of the other guards for that matter, but he can't escape their presence forever. And he can't help but wonder how it will be to face them, to face Akashi, again, after what happened.

It's been a week, but Tetsuya doesn't think he'll ever be ready.

He's led into the court hall, a room Kise had shown him before on their tour. The room is rather large and can be reached from either the main hall through the large front doors or the throne room through a small side door. A huge table overlooks the farthest end of the room, with seats for the Emperor and his close advisors. The ministers have their own seats along the wall, leaving a space in the middle. Anyone who speaks in front of the council must walk down between the line of ministers and their attendants, before finally standing before the Emperor himself.

This is where the fate of the Empire is decided, where trials are held and where war and peace are weighed against each other. It's the center of the Imperial power, helmed by Akashi Seijuro, 24th Emperor of the Rakuzan line. Almost everyone here is driven by ambition - for one thing or another.

Most of the seats are already filled, safe for the Emperor's, when Tetsuya enters. The room falls quiet instantly. All eyes are on him, when he walks down the length of the room, towards the seat the messenger indicated was his.

The silence doesn't last long though. Whispered words follow his entrance, as everyone opts to share their opinion about the new Queen. The noise they make is more likely to a busy beehive than a council of sophisticated men.

Every minister had come with his own set of subordinates, attendants or counselors, or any position one could think of. One even has his own personal fan wielder. Tetsuya has spent a lot of time in the library reading up on the recent history of the Empire. At first there had only been a few ministries, forming a small circle of advisors around the Emperor. In time, more and more minister positions had been awarded, either out of necessity or as payment for loyalty. Many of these positions had been abolished under Akashi's recent predecessors, but the core bulk remained.

What was left was the Great Council of State and a few smaller less significant ministries, but although they held quite significant power in name, most if was essentially void.

Tetsuya has made an effort to memorize their names and the insignia that identify the different ministries and offices.

The Chancellor of the Realm, an old man that seems to use all of his strength just to sit up straight, greets him with a smile so fragile it seems to be made from paper. He is the only one who makes an effort to greet him. Tetsuya remembers reading he used to be Akashi's teacher when he was younger.

"Good day to you, Kuroko-kun." He says, as though they had been friends for years.

Tetsuya pauses. The Chancellor is seated right next to the Emperor's table on the right. "A good day to you too, your Excellency."

As though a spell has been broken, most of the men return to their prior conversations. The chief administrator of the Ministry of Civil Services, according to his insignias, turns back to talk to his neighbor, the chief administrator of the Ministry of Treasury.

The chancellor frowns. "There's no reason to be so formal, Kuroko-kun." He says with his paper-thin voice. Tetsuya finds himself faced with the sudden urge to laugh. There might be no need, but that doesn't mean he has any right to. He nods regardless.

The chancellor smiles. "Sit down, sit down. Seeing you standing around makes my old bones ache."

The man two seats down his left starts laughing, friendly on the surface, but Tetsuya can see the cold glint in his eyes. The chief administrator of the Ministry of the Center, once a position that held great power and influence, is now little more than a fancy title with a few privileges and little to no power attached. The man has a lot of reasons to resent Akashi.

He leans forward to look at the Chancellor. "I'm sure Fujiwara-san will outlive us all." It's intended to be a joke, but he can't quite hide the bitterness that creeps into his voice.

"Most definitely." The Chancellor - Fujiwara-san - says cheerfully, not at all attempting to deny it. The minister of the Center pulls his lips into a thin line and leans back in his seat. His attendants immediately start muttering into his ear.

"My my, Fujiwara-san, aren't you a ball of sunshine today." A thin man with rat-like features says. He laughs quietly but high-pitched, pulling his sleeve in front of his face as he does. His robes are embroidered with the sigil of the ministry of Ceremonies.

"Well, what can I say," the Chancellor says with another smile. "Someone has to remind you lot of the greater values in life." The minister of Ceremonies laughs again, the high-pitched sound echoing through the room and garnering more than a few annoyed glances. The minister of the Center scowls heavily, but doesn't speak up again.

"Kuroko-san." The man between the Chancellor and the minister of Ceremonies leans forward to get his attention. He's the youngest by far among the ministers, handsome face and that's not the only thing that makes him stand out among his peers. His eyes behind his spectacles seem to be in a permanent squint. He remembers seeing him on the day of the wedding at the banquet; he was the one who greeted them on their way out. The sigils on his sleeve identify him as the chief administrator of the Ministry of the Military.

"Congratulations to your successfully consummated marriage." His smile turns even more cheerful, and a cool shiver chases down Tetsuya's spine. He catches a glance of the man's eyes, cool and calculating. This man, and there he has absolutely no doubt, is dangerous.

"Imayoshi-san." the rat-faced minister of Ceremonies says. He seems to be trying to emulate Imayoshi's perfectly fake smile, but fails miserably. "Don't embarrass our dear _Queen_." This time he isn't the only one who laughs.

Tetsuya levels Imayoshi with an even look. "Thank you very much, Imayoshi-kun." He doesn't inflect specifically on the last syllable, but the meaning is still evident. Fujiwara may have broken protocol first, but he has senior rights. Tetsuya is merely a newcomer. Imayoshi's eyes flutter open, a sliver of grey focuses on Tetsuya with the sharp intensity of a snake. Tetsuya doesn't look away. It's hard to read Imayoshi, his posture is overall relaxed and his smile serves as the perfect mask. But Tetsuya thinks he sees Imayoshi afford the slightest of nods in respect.

The door opens at that moment and everyone, from slacker rat-face to old Fujiwara-san straightens up as Akashi Seijuro, 24th Emperor of the Rakuzan line walks into the room. He is followed by Midorima and Murasakibara, and Tetsuya's heart does an odd and painful little flip, he has no idea what to make of. But he has no time to wade through his clouded feelings right now.

Akashi's eyes roam over the room; linger for the fraction of a second on him, before moving on. Tetsuya feels a chill settle in his chest. Only years of practice allow him to remain seated and keep his face in its impassive mask, when all he wants to do is bolt.

Akashi takes his place next to Tetsuya. Midorima sits on Akashi's other side and Murasakibara stands behind them. Tetsuya is glad that neither of them pays him any more mind than that.

Even with the attention pulled away from him completely by Akashi commencing the meeting, he barely keeps it together.

Tetsuya tries to focus on what's being said, but he isn't familiar with many of the terms and issues, but even though, listening to problems that aren't his own helps. Even if Imayoshi keeps throwing him glances he can't interpret, even if he feels the minister of the Center's eyes on him like a slimy touch.

Everything is better than to think of what happened between him and the people sitting next to him.

Needless to say, it's a long day ahead of him

The court meeting doesn't come up with anything noteworthy, but that isn't a surprise to Seijuro. He's mainly held it to test Tetsuya, and so far he's been holding up well enough. His face doesn't give anything away, as usual, but when prompted for his opinion, which Fujiwara did a few times on Seijuro's behalf, his answers were satisfactory enough. Lacking in experience obviously, but that was to be expected.

But that wasn't the main reason Seijuro invited Tetsuya to participate. While Midorima heads the meeting itself, Seijuro takes the opportunity to observe. He takes stock of the men's reaction to Tetsuya, pinpointing just who exactly hoped to benefit from this marriage. He obviously knows which of his ministers were involved in the proposition, but he knows better than to assume everyone played on the same field.

No, some were just pawns to ward of suspicions and he plans on finding out just who the main culprits are. Tetsuya might turn out an asset more than a burden, but he won't allow his ministers to think they can do whatever they please.

He knows Suzuki Jurou, his minister of the Center, has had a hand in the matter, and he certainly has a motive, but he is essentially a coward who likes to hide in a crowd. He also lacks the tactical prowess to have laid the foundations for this plan, although his intelligence is not to be underestimated. Someone else must have pulled the strings behind his back. His reactions to Tetsuya had been little else than his usual antagonizing nature however.

The most obvious suspect is Watanabe Jun, as he was the one who first proposed the marriage to Seijuro, but where Suzuki at least has his studious intelligence to speak for him, his minister of the Imperial Household is simply an idiot. Seijuro concludes he is little more than a pawn.

Chancellor Fujiwara is trustworthy, so is the minister of the Military, although the latter chooses to be a pain in the ass most of the time. Which makes him think that maybe it is time to put that annoyingly sharp wit to some use.

The minister of Civil Services, Shirogane Eiji and the minister of the Treasury, Harasawa Katsunori are both from houses loyal to the Rakuzan line, and aside from being way too laid back about too many things and a tendency to bicker among themselves a lot of the time, when they should be working, well, there is not much else to say, aside from that they never gave Seijuro reason to distrust them. Both of them did voice reservations regarding the engagement, although neither openly opposed the notion. He will keep an eye on them.

The minister of Ceremonies, Kobayashi Masayuki is a constant source of nuisance and he is the one who paid the most attention to Tetsuya. He was never a subtle man, his schemes had little finesse and he is too absorbed in his small time feuds to pay attention to the big picture. Seijuro rules him out as the mastermind, but not entirely as a suspect. He openly voiced support for the proposal, so there is that.

That leaves the minister of Justice, Oshiro Masanori and the minister of Taxation, Nakano Arata. Both ambitious men in their own rights. Although Oshiro seems mostly interested and ultimately restricted to the juristic system of the Empire. He seldom shows interest in anything else but the law. Nakano is an entirely different story however. Outspoken and choleric at times, he has made it clear that he holds Seijuro's heritage against him, in not so many words, but Seijuro can read between the lines. He was also involved in the proposition and Seijuro suspects a collaboration between him and Suzuki.

There is still a puzzle piece missing, as Suzuki and his strict religious views that overlap with Nakano's disdain for his person, would exclude Tetsuya, who hails from a clan of renowned non believers after all, as a suitable consort. But then again, this certainly wasn't about suitability.

Seijuro's thoughts are still occupied with that when he and Tetsuya have lunch. This time, he ordered the servants to serve them in one of the smaller dining halls in the palace's main tract, as it is closer to the court hall.

Tetsuya is silent throughout the meal, which isn't unusual, but Seijuro notes how he avoids looking anywhere in his general direction.

"You are bothered." Seijuro shares his observation, without really meaning to. Tetsuya's eyes widen a fraction, surprise, and for a moment the image is in superposition with another image in Seijuro's mind, of Tetsuya's face flushed red and wanton, an image that has no value to him, yet he finds it ingrained irrevocably in his memories. He will ponder later what to make of this strange reaction he has to Tetsuya at times.

Tetsuya sizes him up for a moment, undoubtedly searching for the intent beyond that statement. His eyes, Seijuro notes, have a tired sheen to them.

"I am far from my home and family." Tetsuya finally says in response and drops his eyes back to the table.

The members of his personal guards all have other duties to attend to at the moment, so they are eating alone this time, Reo watches over them instead.

Seijuro turns Tetsuya's response over in his head, thinks of what Tetsuya revealed that night a week ago. It is hard to tell with Tetsuya, as he has perfect control over his features, but Seijuro always had a sort of sixth sense when it came to detecting lies. And if that sense didn't fool him, then Tetsuya wasn't lying. At least, not outright.

"Your family does not seem to care much for your absence." He turns back to his food, but keeps a very sharp eye out for Tetsuya's reaction.

He gets a glimpse of steel and ice, when Tetsuya's eyes glacier. Seijuro supposes it must be Tetsuya's equivalent of anger.

"My _family_ does care." Tetsuya only allows for inflection on the word family, giving Seijuro new fruit for thought. Seijuro feels the familiar burn in his left eye, as the Emperor Eye activates, his ability to read, not so much the future but the details that lead to it. He fights the urge to blink, focusing instead at the pieces of the puzzle that present itself in front of his mind's eye. So much is still missing.

"Your family," Seijuro echoes. He carefully puts down his fork and levels the entire intensity of his Emperor Eye on Tetsuya. Tetsuya shudders and looks away.

"I wouldn't know who that is." A muscle in Tetsuya's jaw tightens, subtle but nevertheless telling. "I suppose the kind of people who are willing to take in the unwanted child of the Teikou must be rather special." Tetsuya's eyes flicker up to him for a fraction, but they are repelled just as fast by the intensity of Seijuro's gaze.

Seijuro clasps his hands together. "The Teikou are currently ruled by Lady Shirai Naomi, whose daughter died of an unknown cause, before she could inherit the title. According to my sources you are the oldest son of Shirai Naomi's daughter, yet you are not the successor. You haven't even inherited her name; instead you have the name of a bastard child." Tetsuya's eyes are as clear as the summer sky; the steel is gone, now there's just the slippery surface of a frozen pond. Even his Emperor Eye can't penetrate the frozen layers.

He doesn't need to, to know Tetsuya has understood his implication. Bastards can't inherit titles anywhere else in the Empire, unless legitimized, but the Teikou always followed their own rules, not just when it came to succession.

"I've investigated your claim, and it turns out you _are_ my cousin." His father's cousin had confessed the shameful truth on his deathbed, years after the child's birth. Seijuro's father had revoked any and all relation to his cousin, but blood was blood. Tetsuya may be illegitimate, but he is of Rakuzan blood. Seijuro resents his late father for leaving him in the dark.

"Your family chose peace and privacy over all the power they could have tried to claim with your heritage. Giving up their only claim to the throne." Akashi has no doubt in his own ability at wielding the power in his hands, but even so, had he been in the Teikou's position, he would have taken the power for himself. Still, Tetsuya didn't lie.

"You are wrong about one thing." Tetsuya says simply, eyes still locked on the half-empty plate before him. "My grandmother died, my brother has succeeded her." There's a note in his voice, fragility maybe, or the brittle heart of a frozen tear.

Seijuro narrows his eyes. The news must at least be older than Tetsuya's departure from home, yet Seijuro hasn't yet heard a thing about it. Spies tend to disappear and never return, once send to the Teikou, but still. The Teikou traded, like anyone else did. The news should have reached him by now. Tetsuya has no reason to lie, and even if he did, his eye would see through all lies.

A grandmother, especially a matriarch with the reputation of Shirai Naomi, might scorn her grandchild for reasons aplenty, but a brother, Tetsuya might have hoped would heed the bands of blood. A foolish sentiment, no doubt.

Another puzzle piece in place.

The oldest child of the current family head is the heir of the line, regardless of gender or parentage, this rule had been active ever since the early beginnings of the Teikou. So why is Tetsuya different? A rule that has never been broken before, as far as Seijuro knows. Aspirations run in every family, Tetsuya's grandmother wanted his brother as her heir, his brother wanted to be successor, a very common predicament.

"Now tell me," The burn in his left eye is almost unbearable now, pulling the world into a slightly off-kilter blur, its limit already reached, "why are you still alive?"

This time the surprise isn't small, at least not for Tetsuya's usual stoic mimic. His eyes widen and his mouth drops open slightly, but then the expression morphs into one of pain and sadness. Tetsuya lifts his hand, but halts it halfway, an aborted movement without a goal. He drops it back to his lap.

"What makes you think I am?" Tetsuya finally says, voice hollow and devoid of emotion.

For a moment Seijuro thinks he sees a shadow of death lying over Tetsuya. He thinks of the scar Kise told him about, the scar that should have killed him.

He thinks about a lot of things that night.


	6. Secrets

Tetsuya is shaken. More so than he has reason to, more so than he should ever allow himself to be. But Akashi had hit bull's eye with deadly precision. Thinking back to those eyes that seemed to see everything, every painful truths he'd tried to hide, every secret, every part of his being had laid open to his look,

For lack of better options, Tetsuya puts it out of his mind. He'd allowed himself to grow compliant over the last week, nursing his woes instead of doing what he came here for. So that night, after he'd spent the afternoon in restless unease, he finally decides to put the first part of his plan into action.

He finishes dinner quietly in his rooms and then allows his handmaids to fuss over him some more, before he indicates he'd like to spend the rest of the night reading. Ayame brings him, as promised, a cup of steaming hot vanilla cocoa. Sumire glares but doesn't say anything, as he carefully takes the first sip.

He's never had hot cocoa before, as cocoa is quite rare and expensive. The texture of it is unfamiliar, smooth and heavy and its taste is rich and sweet. It blends perfectly with the soft flavor of vanilla, a flavor he recognizes, despite the years that have passed. The memory it sparks almost brings tears to his eyes. He still doesn't remember her face or even the sound of her voice, but for a moment he thinks he can hear his mother laugh, while the faint scent of vanilla wafts through the air.

The memory passes and he's back in his bedroom, a cup of hot cocoa in hands. The taste of vanilla is fleeting on his tongue.

"With this, you'll sleep like a rock." Ayame confides in him and takes the cup from his hands after he'd finished. Tetsuya doesn't tell her that it's not sleep he's after.

Shion pulls his night clothes from his wardrobe and offers them to him. At this point, undressing in front of his three handmaids has become routine. It probably shouldn't be, but it's not as though he has much choice on the matter. Rejecting the efforts of his servants would be ungrateful, as much as he wants to. Sumire helps him out of his robes, before folding them to be put away and laundered later.

Shion had stocked his wardrobe with a more diverse selection of clothes than dresses and robes, after he had come back from the gardens with one too many torn silk garments. She'd done it with the same quiet attention she paid to everything she did. She rarely speaks, but she seems to have an even keener eye to his subtle needs than Ayame. While Ayame and Sumire are polar opposites in just about anything, Shion is somewhere in the middle. She's taller than Ayame but doesn't reach up to Sumire; she wears her hair rather short and usually prefers simple practical clothing.

Tetsuya pulls on the loose fitting pair of pants - smooth linen and no silk - before he pulls the shirt from the same material over his head. The garment is a bit too big on him, but he can tighten it with drawstrings. Shion kneels to tie the drawstrings on his pants, when something pricks his side.

It's just a small jab of pain and Tetsuya thinks nothing of it, until it happens again. Shion makes to straighten his shirt, but Tetsuya stops her. He shifts until he can reach the offending area and pulls out a glinting piece of metal from the seam of the shirt.

Ayame gasps. "Is that a needle?" She reaches out to take it from Tetsuya's hand, but stops when she remembers who she's dealing with. "Forgive me." She bows slightly. "May I?" Tetsuya is done with inspecting the needle himself and hands it over to her. "Oh dear, one of the seamstresses must have forgotten it." Ayame purses her lips.

"We need to tell Momoi-sama." Sumire says tightly. "This is inexcusable."

"I'm sure it was just an accident." Ayame's lips curl downward in an unhappy frown. She twiddles the needle in her fingers.

"Even so." Sumire says, voice hard, "Kuroko-dono could have been seriously injured." She affects an apologetic smile in Tetsuya's direction, oddly candid for once.

Ayame winces momentarily, as her fiddling caused her to prick herself and she puts down the needle on the table.

His fear it might have been poisoned had been unwarranted, but Tetsuya can't quite belief it was an accident. Still, he doubts that one of the seamstresses was responsible; they have no reason to resent him. Besides, they would be the first and obvious suspects. Either it truly was an accident, or someone likes to play pranks on him.

"There's no need for that, please." Tetsuya tries a reassuring smile. "I'm alright. I'm sure it was just an accident." Sumire looks as though she wants to protest, but Shion stops her with a gentle touch to her arm.

"I'll tell the seamstresses to be more careful next time, is that alright?" Ayame offers and Sumire seems placated.

"Forgive my carelessness, Kuroko-dono." Shion says quietly and bows. "I will accept any punishment your highness sees fit."

Tetsuya lets himself sink into one of the plush armchairs rounding the table. He hasn't touched the chair Akashi had been using since that night, but there is only so far he can flee from his ghosts.

"That is not necessary." Tetsuya says evenly and Shion accepts it with a quiet bow.

Neither of them notices when Tetsuya swipes the needle from the table and hides it in his sleeve.

His maids eventually retreat, leaving him to his nightly reading. Tetsuya goes through his training menu, stretching and bending until his muscles are loose and warm, and then he follows up with a complex set of exercises, Aida compiled for him. He gives it a few hours into darkness, before he gets up and dons the clothes he's lifted from the laundry room over the week. He has a creeping suspicion Shion, who is in charge of his wardrobe, noticed, but instead of clearing his acquisitions out, she saw fit to add a pair of boots and gloves.

Just because she decided to help him out doesn't mean she didn't tell on him, but there really is no use in worrying about that now. The clothes he's picked are dark and fit tight. The boots are high shafted and made from what appears to be deerskin. The fabric has been died a dark grey, similar to the color of his gloves. He didn't find anything proper to cover his head, so Tetsuya goes with one of the many shawls to wrap up his brightly colored hair.

Lastly, he pins the needle into the fabric of his sleeve, from where he can pull it easily enough, should the need arise. A weapon is a weapon is a weapon, and in Tetsuya's case, his proficiency increases lineally to the decrease of his weapon's size. Or as Kagami likes to put it, his deadliest weapon is none at all.

As a final touch, Tetsuya arranges some of the seating pillows from his living room under his blanket to fool anyone who might check on him into believing he's sound asleep. It won't withstand an attentive eye, but Tetsuya doesn't expect anyone to disturb his sleep anyway. It's merely a precaution.

The window latch is still broken, as no one has paid enough attention to the window to notice it. It's just so much like Kagami, managing to sneak in through his window unnoticed, but break the latch anyway. The thought of Kagami pings painfully in his chest, but Tetsuya doesn't allow the distraction to take hold.

Tetsuya slips on the windowsill and pulls the window closed behind him. It won't lock due to the broken latch, but the curtains should suffice to hold it closed. The ancient stone wall has been roughened up by weather and Tetsuya finds plenty of hand- and footholds on his descent. He hits ground only moments later.

The whole palace and its yard are surrounded by a curtain wall that separates the Emperor's residence from the rest of the city. The wall is patrolled by guards, all hours of the day, but inside the palace walls, only a few nightly patrols disturb the peace.

There really isn't anything out there that Akashi fears.

Tetsuya makes his way through the shadows, following the palace wall to his right. A few spots of torchlight in the distance signify the positions of patrols, but as Kagami said, security is almost nonexistent. Light spills from a window above him - Akashi's rooms, if he counted the distance correctly. He could climb up there and… do what exactly?

Tetsuya shakes the thought from his mind.

A few paces down, he reaches the inseam of the West wing building that leads back to the main tract.

Somewhere to his right lies the forbidden palace, the residence of Akashi's concubines. He's seen glimpses of it from his one excursion to the Northern high tower, surrounded by a wall of its own that is grown over with poisonous ivy to keep any and all intruders away. A special branch of the palace guard is responsible for the mistresses' security.

Previous Emperors have been known to wildly indulge in their private harem, but the practice has decreased drastically since Akashi's grandfather. According to rumors, Akashi has never even set foot into his secret garden of pleasures.

For all their privilege, for the concubines, it must be a lot like a prison.

A pair of outbuildings is nestled right in the corner where West wing meets central tract. Tetsuya climbs on the roof of one of them to reach a window he knows leads into a small unused storage room. He unlocked the window earlier today, after slipping away from his tail of guards and then later claiming he had merely gotten lost. He also used the opportunity to snatch and hide a small hand lamp for later use. Not all parts of the palace can be reached by sunlight, and those that can't are pitch black during nights.

Tetsuya slips into the dark room without a sound. He listens for a moment at the door to make sure there's no one on the other side, before he slips through. The corridor behind is dark and empty, but Tetsuya has committed the layout of the palace's interior to memory. He follows well-honed instincts when he makes his way down the corridor, through doors and down a small staircase until he reaches one of the few unsealed entries into the hidden underground network spanning the entirety of the palace. He found a map during his hours in the library, ancient and close to disintegrating in his hands, but not much should have changed since the network's construction.

Of course, reality rarely concedes with expectations. Tetsuya finds many corridors and tunnels sealed off. While most seem done by ancient hands, a few blockades seem rather new and recent. It would be delusional to assume Akashi isn't aware of the network that perforates his palace. Tetsuya shakes off the feeling of being trapped. For once, the thought of being absolutely alone down here, is scary.

Eventually, Tetsuya reaches the end of the tunnel, where it hits the North wing wall. As he feared, there is no tunnel connecting into the North wing, but there is a small spiral staircase that leads upwards. The North wing had been constructed a few generations after the original palace, and he had found no maps that indicated it was ever included into the underground tunnel network.

The same is true for his and Akashi's rooms, but Tetsuya has a very strong suspicion that there's at least a hidden escape tunnel that leads from their rooms. Although he has yet to find proof.

For lack of better options, Tetsuya descends the staircase.

It leads to what looks like one of the servants' corridors that span the old palace tracts. After a bit of orienting, Tetsuya determines he's close to the main corridor that runs right through the common residential area of the North wing.

Tetsuya has a rough idea of the position of the minister's rooms. Another corridor branches off from the central corridor, leading into the part of the wing that is reserved for the higher standing court officials with large families. The area for ministers and officials without or with small families is directly above.

Tetsuya climbs the stairs to the next floor. He has no real idea where to start or with whom, but families usually mean small children with light sleep. Small branch-offs lead in between the rooms and connect to the main corridor in intervals, but Tetsuya's instinct tells him that there's more hidden in these corridors than meets the eye. And indeed, after some very careful searching and probing, he finds a small inlet in the wall that turns out to be a hidden door into the room behind. The first two are sealed in with a viscous substance Tetsuya fails to pry out with his fingers alone. It wouldn't be much of a problem, if he had a knife with him, but the needle does little more than poke a few holes in it.

Next time, he should bring some tools with him.

The seal on the third door seems to have dried out and is cracked in many places. It peels away easily under Tetsuya's fingers and soon he has freed the entrance. He shoves the mess of cracked plaster under the carpet in an attempt to hide his presence. It's a provisional solution, but right now Tetsuya has limited options.

In the center of the door is a small hole, sealed with the same material than the door cracks were, and with a bit of needle picking, he's cleared it enough to look through. The room behind is a reception room. The room itself is similar to the one in Tetsuya's chambers, albeit significantly smaller. Light falls in through the half open door into the main rooms, and Tetsuya thinks he can make out faint voices.

If, and only _if_ he extrapolated his position correctly, this is Minister Suzuki Jurou's room. He could be way off the course though.

Tetsuya hesitates. He can't search the rooms, if people are there, but he might be able to get some valuable information if he listens in. The decision is made for him when Tetsuya makes out the word 'Teikou' from one of the voices. Regardless of who the owner is, this is something he doesn't want to miss.

It's risky and his mentor would probably have his head, but Tetsuya knows he can count on people invariably overlooking him when they shouldn't. With that more than fickle reasoning, Tetsuya very carefully slides open the door. Thankfully, the door isn't hinged; bur noiselessly slides to the side. Last thing he needs right now, is a squeaky hinge to give him away.

Tetsuya slips in quietly. The door closes seamlessly into the wall and Tetsuya memorizes the position, before he moves further in. He finds a relatively safe spot behind a chaise lounge, close to the half open door.

"…not going to make their move, are they?" It takes a moment to place the voice, as Tetsuya has only ever heard it today for the first time, it is Minister Suzuki.

"Maybe they bide their time?" Someone else replies, an unfamiliar voice.

Their combined response is snorted laughter and then a third voice speaking up: "Please, that Shirai bitch never planned on going through with it." The voice is familiar, but Tetsuya can't quite place it.

"Well, dear Shirai Naomi bit the dust not two months back." A fourth voice supplies with no small amount of smugness. This one Tetsuya can place immediately; it is Imayoshi Shouichi, the minister of the military.

"What? That can't be. How have we never heard of that?" Suzuki says, with an angered undertone.

"Well," Imayoshi drawls lazily, "_I _know that because I keep my eyes and ears open, which would serve you well too, every now and then. As for _how_ that could be, well old age does occasionally serve as cause of death, doesn't it?"

"Keep your insolence to yourself." Suzuki snaps. "How come we weren't informed of this?"

"Because the Teikou never planned on usurping the throne; they merely wanted to get rid of that bastard child of theirs." The third voice snarls, and now Tetsuya recognizes him as Nakano Arata, the minister of taxation. He had a penchant for sounding angry, no matter what it was he was saying.

"Why would they do that?" The second voice asks. "They could have had the throne."

"How would I know?" Suzuki growls. "Who knows what goes on in their heads? Family of inbreeds, that is what they are."

"Who's the new head? Maybe they are more interested in an increase of their social position."

"Don't be stupid Sakurai. If they were, they would have made a move by now." Suzuki is clearly irritated.

"I'm sorry." Sakurai is quick to apologize. He is largely ignored.

"I reckon the Teikou aren't as thrilled to have dear Kuroko on the throne as we expected them to be." Somehow Imayoshi doesn't sound surprised - or perturbed for that matter - by the fact at all. Unwanted, a shiver runs down Tetsuya's spine. Despite his usually pleasant tone, something about Imayoshi unfailingly sets him on edge.

"He'd be nothing more than a figure head." Nakano grumbles. "Surely, the Teikou could control one of their own?"

"I think the real question is, would we be able to control the Teikou?" Imayoshi offers with the air of someone who just bestowed a profound truth to lesser beings.

His answer is begrudging silence.

"Everything has worked out for the best now, hasn't it?" Imayoshi concludes cheerfully.

"The best?" Suzuki asks sharply, but is interrupted by Nakano's outrage.

"That whore's son is still on the throne and now his position is as secure as ever, thanks to the marriage. I told you we should have waited until he's 25 and has to abdicate, because that frigid bastard would never take a wife."

"Many a war has been won by doing nothing." Imayoshi adds sardonically.

"This is getting us nowhere." Suzuki cuts in icily. "The Teikou failed to hold up their end of the bargain." There's a short pause and some shuffling before Suzuki continues, "but I suppose there is little we can do about that. If Imayoshi is right and Naomi is dead, our agreement is void." Suzuki sounds as though he has a hard time admitting that. "It doesn't come as a complete surprise though. I have no doubt Naomi would have tried to screw us over, one way or another."

"So what exactly are we going to do about that?" Nakano's answer is silence. "What does _he_ say to all this?"

"Nothing." Suzuki says bitterly.

"Now that's interesting." Imayoshi drawls. "Doesn't have a backup plan, has he now?"

"I told you already, keep your insolence to yourself, Imayoshi-_kun_." Suzuki snaps in response. "He knows very well what he is doing. His silence must mean he wants us to take action. As it is, I see only one way out of this."

Imayoshi seems little deterred. "Your wit never ceases to amaze me. And what exactly is it that you propose we do?"

"We do what the Teikou are too chicken to do." Nakano, at least Tetsuya thinks it was him, slams a hand on the table.

"I suppose what you want to say, do what the Teikou are too smart to do?" Imayoshi's contempt is rather thinly veiled this time.

"Watch your tongue, brat." Nakano growls lowly. "Remember, we tolerate you, but you have yet to earn your place."

For some reason Sakurai breaks out into frantic apologies, but is shut up moments later by a very annoyed sounding Suzuki.

"Regardless of your opinion, Imayoshi, something _will_ be done. I won't stand for this _heathen_ on the throne any longer."

Someone - Tetsuya guesses Imayoshi - sighs. "I trust you know what you do."

"I do." Suzuki says coolly. "Nakano and I will discuss the further details, you are dismissed."

"I'm sorry." Sakurai says, sounding very close to tears.

"Now come, Sakurai-kun, don't make this any more embarrassing than it already is." Imayoshi doesn't sound embarrassed at all.

Tetsuya ducks behind the chaise lounge, using the shadows to mask his presence. He watches as Imayoshi walks briskly out of the living room, a man who must be Sakurai, trailing behind. Sakurai is a small unassuming man with wide frantic eyes who, in his hurry to catch up after Imayoshi, almost stumbles over his own feet.

Sakurai has closed the door behind them, and no matter how close he presses his ear to the wood, all he hears are faint indistinguishable murmurs. They must have lowered their voices.

Since there is little else for him to do Tetsuya retreats. He has to think over what he just heard and then, well then, he has to decide what he wants to do about it.

Tetsuya slips back into the secret corridor and picks up the lamp he had put down on the floor. His footsteps don't make a sound as he follows the winding way of the corridor, back into the tunnel system.

It doesn't come as a surprise that someone is after Akashi's head. He is not a tyrant, but he is the culmination of a long process of depowering the court and shifting all the power to the Emperor. So far his decisions have worked to benefit the Empire, as it is thriving as it hasn't in a long time. But economical prosperity must mean little to men whose only thirst is for power.

And there is the thing about Akashi being a heathen.

Religion used to be the center of the state, Emperor in the grace of gods, but Akashi has made it clear from early on that he doesn't believe in a higher power, but himself. The wedding was an empty ceremony for both of them.

Tetsuya makes his way back to his rooms. Everything is as he has left it. He pulls off his clothes and hides them at the back of his wardrobe.

He doesn't know if his conclusion is the right one, but as Suzuki said, there is little else they can do. One way or another, they will come after Akashi's head.

He slips back into his night clothes and under the covers of his bed. He is tired, but his mind won't let him come to rest.

He doesn't know what measurements Suzuki and Nakano have in place to calm the situation after they take Akashi's head. He doesn't know about that mysterious he who pulls the strings from the shadows. Akashi's death could lead to civil war easily enough. He's a strict and absolute Emperor, but he is fair. Tetsuya doesn't know how well loved Akashi is among the people, or if at all.

He knows so little.

But there is one thing he does know. He has to prevent the assassination at any cost. Akashi is his only chance to get what he wants.

He thinks of warning Akashi, but he has no proof. Akashi might not trust his ministers, but he has no reason to trust Tetsuya either. He'll have to keep his eyes open.

Tetsuya falls asleep over the thought that Suzuki and Nakano might even decide to do nothing at all, and leave everything to whatever shadowy figure pulls their strings.

"Your wedding was your first and only religious act." The voice is bored and borders on insolence, as per usual. "That doesn't sit right with some people."

The owner of the voice lounges in one of the chairs in Seijuro's study, making it seem as though the hard wood isn't nearly as uncomfortable as it is. It's the early hours of the morning; the only light source is the lamp on his desk, casting irregular shadows on his paperwork.

Ever since the awakening of his left eye, Seijuro found his body's need for sleep decreased. Now, he barely sleeps more than three or four hours per night, if at all.

"My power comes from myself, not from gods."

His nightly visitor smirks. "Course it does. But powerless people like to have an excuse for their powerlessness."

"And who could argue with divine intervention." Seijuro allows himself a dry smile.

"In this case, though, I reckon they truly believe it." He gives Seijuro a look over the rims of his glasses, grey eyes for once not shadowed by his perpetual squint. He's toeing a thin line there, but if anything, the man is a master of his craft. "And our dear Suzuki-kun has taken it upon himself to rectify his god's mistakes."

Seijuro leans back in his high backed chair, prompting the man to continue with an expectant raise of his eyebrow.

He does.

Morning comes with little on the side of solutions or revelations. Morning also comes with the arrival of Momoi Satsuki, who cheerfully greets him during breakfast and then proceeds to explain she is going to spend the day with him to introduce him to his various duties.

Tetsuya receives her enthusiasm with a polite nod and rearranges his plans in his head. Chance is, whatever move was planned won't be carried out today - or any time soon for that matter - so he can use the opportunity to extract information from Momoi.

Since he hadn't expected any official duties today, Tetsuya had dressed in a yukata and hakama, the compromise he'd agreed upon, as his status calls for formal traditional wear. When Ayame politely reminded him he needed to change, Momoi just waved her off. "I'm just showing Kuroko-sama around, I'm sure it's fine." She had said, and that had been that.

Momoi keeps up a similarly dense string of one sided conversation than Kise. Tetsuya tries to listen, but his thoughts keep drifting to what he's heard the night before. He doesn't know the specifics of the deal his grandmother made with Suzuki, but he knows she would have never intended to attempt a strike at Akashi. She hadn't been interested in expanding her power over what she already had. No, Shirai Naomi's interests had laid in an entire different direction.

Tetsuya feels the all too familiar shiver of cold travel down his spine when he thinks of his grandmother. Momoi, thankfully, doesn't notice.

And that leaves his brother, who, for all the physical resemblance they share, still is mostly a mystery to Tetsuya. They never had been close, even before the fateful day of his fifth birthday, but that was mostly because they were kept apart intentionally. He was never meant to live past that day, so there was no need to have them grow close.

But he knows his brother is power hungry in a way Naomi never was. Tetsuya thinks back on what Hyuuga had said when they recovered Naomi's body. Outwardly it seemed to have been natural cause, old age, heart failure, something like that. But the truth of the matter was that Shirai Naomi had barely scraped sixty. She'd suffered from a rather persistent cough since last winter, but other than that she'd been in prime health.

She hadn't planned on relinquishing her power anytime soon, at least not before her grandson turned 25.

Hyuuga who had examined the body had found traces of outside influence, a slight discoloring on Naomi's neck, something that could have been injection points. The reason they were there spoke against his brother, he wasn't as clumsy as to leave traces.

But.

Tetsuya still can't make heads or tails of it. His brother is a snake; he could as well have left the marks there to send a message. Tetsuya just doesn't know what and to whom.

The Seirin had fallen too far from favor to do anything more than keep their eyes open; his brother had seamlessly fallen into the role as leader. And shortly after, Tetsuya had been sent off to his wedding.

It takes Tetsuya a moment to realize Momoi has been addressing him.

"Kuroko-sama?" She has her head tilted to peek into his face, forehead slightly creased in worry.

"I'm sorry." Tetsuya looks down. "I was distracted." When he looks up again, he has put on his most convincing impression of earnestly apologetic he can muster, which amounts to him looking slightly less apathetic than usual.

Momoi smiles regardless. "I was just asking if Ki-chan has showed you your workspace yet?"

Tetsuya has to think a moment, before he realizes she means Kise. "No, he hasn't." He says quietly. Momoi clicks her tongue

"Ki-chan is such an airhead." She smiles again, in an oddly affectionate manner. Tetsuya doesn't know if it's meant for him to see. "I will show you then."

His workspace turns out to be a rather large room on the first floor, close to the junction of west wing and central tract. To call it workspace is actually an overstatement, as it turns out to be a lavishly decorated salon, complete with plush sofas, armchairs and oddly misplaced, laid out tatami mats at one side of the room.

"The last Queen liked to challenge her guests to karuta." Momoi explains when she catches his gaze. The last Queen, that must have been Akashi's mother. She was beloved among the people, but died when Akashi was still young.

"There is no official rule book to a Queen's duty." Momoi picks up her explanation. "Officially, you are the head of the court ladies, although your position is mostly formal. Most of the court ladies are the wives of ministers or other court officials, and a few are unmarried daughters of noble houses, there to learn how to be good wives." Momoi pulls a face.

To Tetsuya there is nothing unusual to see a woman in a high court position such as steward, but he also knows that for the rest of the Empire, women often are of lesser worth than men. He wonders how much Momoi had to struggle to get where she is now.

"You also inhabit the position of First Mistress, although I would recommend you keep away from the forbidden palace." Her expression shifts into one of sadness. "It's not a good place to be."

There's a moment of awkward silence until Momoi finds back her cheer and continues. "Akashi-sama wants you to partake in court meetings as one of his advisors." There's the slightest hint of a frown on Momoi's face, as though she herself isn't quite sure what to make of that. It lasts only for a moment before she is back to smiling. "I think it means he has high hopes for you."

That, at least is promising.

"But other than that, you can basically do what you want." She indicates the room. "Lady Shiori used this room to receive petitioners and friends alike. Or she invited over the court ladies for tea and gossip." Tetsuya recognizes the name as the name of Akashi's mother, the late Empress Shiori. She was a very charitable person and would often speak in favor of the poor to her husband. She would also often visit the city to see where people needed help and such."

Momoi's smile is fond and her eyes are soft. She must have been very young when Shiori was still alive.

"She also organized banquets and celebrations, oversaw meal plans for the whole of the palace and had an eye on all of the palace's supplies." Momoi's smile is excited. "But that's what I was hired for, so you don't have to worry about any of these things."

Tetsuya listens but doesn't comment. Momoi plops down onto one of the sofas.

"We left the room as it is, in Lady Shioriu's honor, but it's now yours to do as you please with. You can redecorate if you like. Some citizens have already petitioned to meet with Kuroko-sama, in hopes you pick up where Lady Shiori left off." Momoi gives him a reassuring smile. "But it is up to you what you want to do."

Tetsuya looks around the room. Truth be told, he hadn't even thought about this part of his new position. He has never met Lady Shiori, but he can feel her presence in every detail of the room. She was a gentle person with a weak heart. Many had opposed Emperor Masaomi's marriage to her, not just because of her health.

Momoi looks at him expectantly.

"I like it as it is." Tetsuya says. He's never met the Queen, but seeing this room that's filled with so much warmth, even after all this time, he can't think she was anything else but _good_.

Momoi seems relieved.

I would appreciate your help in acquainting myself with the new position." Tetsuya bows slightly, more an inclination of his head, as befit of their difference in status. "Please take care of me." It comes out blander than intended, but Momoi lights up all the same.

"Of course, Kuroko-sama. It would be an honor to assist you. Although," Her face falls, "I am quite busy, I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you."

"It's alright." Tetsuya says.

She smiles and pushes a strand of her pink colored hair behind her ear. "If you want to, I could introduce you to the other court ladies?"

Tetsuya can think of better ways to spend his time, but Momoi's smile is open and kind and Tetsuya thinks it might not be so bad at all.

"I would appreciate that."

Nakajima Yumi is an elderly lady with so much innate authority, Tetsuya feels the sudden urge to stand straight and salute. She musters him sternly after Momoi's introduction, giving little away as to what she thinks of him.

Then, just as Tetsuya thinks how much her stern expression unpleasantly reminds him of his own grandmother, she breaks out into a warm smile. "It is a pleasure Kuroko-sama." Her voice is soft and warm, the same warmth that now plays in her eyes. She reaches for his hands and lightly squeezes them in greeting.

Tetsuya can't quite hide his surprise.

"Nakajima-san has been overlooking the court ladies ever since Lady Shiori's death." Momoi offers in explanation.

"Herding a coop of chicken, would be more accurate." Nakajima says with a smile that makes the skin around her eyes crinkle up. Momoi coughs awkwardly.

"Satsuki, coughing like that doesn't befit a lady of your status." She lectures sternly, but the slight crinkle around her eyes, still gives her away.

Momoi peeks out her tongue. Nakajima just laughs and whaps her playfully with her fan. The two women seem to share a very comfortable routine, as Momoi dodges the attack easily enough, trying hard not to laugh herself.

"Now," Nakajima says after Momoi has collected herself, "how about I show Kuroko-sama around, while you go back to work?" Although the question is addressed to Momoi, they both look at Tetsuya for confirmation. It makes him feel somewhat awkward so he just nods his affirmative.

"Alright. Kuroko-sama, I leave you in Nakajima-san's care. You can send for me, if you need help with anything."

Tetsuya nods and then turns to Nakajima. Momoi excuses herself and leaves. "Please take care of me." He offers with the same polite half bow he has given Momoi earlier.

Nakajima frowns at him. "There is no need for such politeness, don't you think? You may be Queen, but technically I am your senpai." There's that faint dance of a smile around her eyes again, and Tetsuya feels its infectious tendencies. "How about I call you Tetsuya? I am sure none of the other oafs around here do, and it would be a shame if you were to forget your own name, eh sage one?"

Tetsuya allows himself to give in to the smile tugging at his lips. It affects little more than a slight twitch of his lips, but Nakajima's sharp eyes don't seem to miss a thing. He doesn't tell her that his name is spelled in katakana.

"Alright then, don't tell Satsuki. She doesn't look it, let alone sound it, but she would rather rip out her own hair then to upset the social order around here." She shakes her head. "She's a good girl, but sometimes I wonder where she has her head. Oh, and don't think of calling me anything else than Yumi."

Tetsuya merely nods. It doesn't seem Nakajima expects a reply from him to anything she said, and he's glad, because he wouldn't know what to offer. He's not used to the brand of motherly affection she seems to so easily bestow on others. He isn't even sure if it is what can be called motherly.

"Say, do you play karuta?" Nakajima waves him to follow her out of her rooms, where Momoi had brought him to meet her.

"No." Tetsuya declines. HIs grandmother had played, but Tetsuya never had the opportunity.

"A shame. It is a game of wit and mental skill, but most think it is merely a pretty pastime for bored housewives." She allows herself a wry smile. "I used to play with Lady Shiori, but she was an unmatched player, unlike any other. I tried to teach the young hens how to play, but all that fits in their head are husbands and the newest fashion at court." She side eyes him. "They've been dying to meet you, mostly to have a new vane to follow."

"I'm afraid I won't be of much use in that matter." Tetsuya offers quietly. He doubts his preference for practical clothing could serve as a fashion trend.

Nakajima snorts very unladylike. "Don't say that. The poor things had to decide their own trends for sixteen years, ever since Lady Shiori died, they would follow a lamppost if it were crowned Queen."

Her face softens then. "But they are good girls, each in their own right. I just wished they would try and think for themselves every now and then. I try to nudge them in the right direction, but I am just an old lady with a horrid fashion sense." She looks down at her own simple kimono. "In my time, kimonos were all the rage." She throws him a glance. "Not that you would know about that." Her eyes wrinkle in another deep smile.

Tetsuya inclines his head in lieu of answering. He decides he likes Nakajima Yumi. She could rival Kise or Momoi in running conversation, but there is something about her that Tetsuya never knew he wanted to be close to.

They have reached another door, somewhere on the uppermost floor of the North wing. Nakajima stops right before the door, hesitating for a moment, before she turns to look at him. Her eyes are kind when she looks at him, but her smile is sad.

"You are still young," she says. "Don't think this is the end."

It's the second time Nakajima Yumi has surprised him today. Something in her eyes seems old and knowing. Tetsuya feels an odd sensation of appreciation well up in his chest. She might not see the reality of him and his situation, but in her way she does care.

She's so different from Shirai Naomi, like day from night, and Tetsuya finds himself wondering how it could have been if his own grandmother had been more like Nakajima. If she would have done what she did. In the same vein, he can't help but wonder if Nakajima would have done what Naomi did, if she had been born heir to the Teikou clan. If she would have led her own daughter to the slaughtering block.

Whatever she makes of his silence, she doesn't tell. Nakajima pats him on the shoulder with a reassuring smile, before turning back and swiftly opening the door.

And that is how he is introduced to the flock of women that make up the Queen's court.

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><p><strong>* <strong>karuta is a sort of Japanese card game that works a little like memory, but is infinitely more complex. I suggest reading up on it on Wikipedia, as it is impossible to explain concisely. Or watch the anime Chihayafuru.


	7. Needle Point

**A/N:** Early update. Also, I have decided to decrease intervals between updates. Maybe around a week.

I'd also like to share some trivia with every update, so today's update's trivia is:

**The working title of this fic is, "what the everloving fuck am I even doing"**

I think I should apologize for the imagery in this chapter, because as of now I can't offer an explanation without spoiling anything, so yeah, have fun figuring out what people are talking about I the latter half of the chapter.

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><p>Tetsuya finds a workable routine throughout the next days. During the day he acquaints himself with his duties. He accompanies Akashi to the court meetings and assemblies or attends the few meetings he has with ambassadors from their neighboring countries. In between all that, Tetsuya keeps a sharp eye on Akashi's surroundings.<p>

But everything seems to be calm on the surface.

Akashi instructs him in between meetings, cool but patient and Tetsuya feels all the more how little a grasp he has on Akashi's personality. They eat lunch and dinner together occasionally, when their schedules match or when Akashi extends an invitation. It seems as though Akashi is making somewhat of an effort to involve him in his new life. Tetsuya tries to absorb as much knowledge and information he can, wherever he can find it.

He has yet to set foot in Akashi's private rooms.

Tetsuya still feels that twang of unease in Akashi's company, worsened as they are rarely ever without at least one member of the honor guard. And sometimes, when he's in one of their companies, memories surface, memories of that night and how it felt. His nightmares have changed in flavor, but he can't tell if the sticky sweet of _now_ is preferable to the salty bitter tang of _then_.

But most days, it's easy enough to forget.

Kise is his usual cheerful self, unperturbed by his peer's obvious disinterest in his general presence. Midorima brings something new to the table every day, quite literally, and today it happens to be a ceramic figurine of an animal Tetsuya has never seen before. It is yellow and spotted with brown colors, and it has a neck so long Tetsuya thinks it must be mythical. Murasakibara pays more attention to his food than anything else, and Aomine is so much like Kagami in so many ways, that it's sometimes painful to watch him laugh and goof around and pick on Kise in between, when he isn't busy stuffing his face with so much food it's ridiculous. Because Tetsuya can't help but think this is how Kagami would have turned out, if life hadn't laid an assassin's knife at his feet.

And then there is Akashi. Akashi who treats him with the haughty indifference of the mighty, but encloses him all the same in his daily schedules, as though he could read the intent in Tetsuya's mind to stay close at all times. But there's a split in Akashi's personality, something Tetsuya has noticed that one night, and then later again, when Akashi's eyes changed so marginally and yet so chilling, it still sends a shiver of cold down Tetsuya's spine.

There seem to be so many fractions to Akashi's personality, pieced together to a whole and yet the pieces shift every now and then and reveal a darkness that feels all too familiar in its existence.

Sometimes it's just the subtle change of his left eye, when the pupil changes its shape and that gaze turns piercing and inescapable.

And sometimes it's as if Akashi's gone and someone else takes his place, or maybe it's more accurate to say the real Akashi surfaces - Tetsuya can't make sense of it just yet. But whenever _it_ surfaces, the men around Akashi bend like reed grass.

Tetsuya still remembers the force of _that_ gaze.

It's been nine days since Tetsuya uncovered the would-be conspiracy, but nothing has happened so far. He keeps up his nightly tours, but doesn't stumble upon any more secret meetings.

During the rare times he isn't occupied with his official duties - and safeguarding Akashi's life against a threat that might never surface - Momoi digs her metaphorical claws into him. She introduces him to a lot of people, all of which are somewhat important in keeping the palace up and running, but Tetsuya gives up after about the first twenty to remember all of them.

It's already gotten quite clear that he will focus more on his tasks as Akashi's advisor, than many of the social duties Lady Shiori took upon herself, a decision, Momoi freely admits, is for the best. Still, he is the Imperial consort and as such at least has to know the people working under him, and if he ever so much as desired to try his hands at Queenly duties, it wouldn't hurt to know people in advance or so Momoi explains.

At least Nakajima told him she didn't expect his presence during the court ladies' activities, although she did tell him he were always welcome to join them for tea, needlework or gossiping. She also invited him to come to her for some well needed relaxation, if his duties every threatened to overwhelm him. They had come to a quiet and unspoken agreement that while Tetsuya would remain chief court lady in title, Nakajima would continue in overseeing the other ladies in his stead.

As Nakajima predicted, the court ladies have taken to his choice of fashion in a flash, even Momoi seems to have taken a liking to wearing kimonos, instead of her formal uniform.

And then, finally and thankfully, Kagami returns.

His nightly excursions have left him with too little sleep and Tetsuya has found himself more and more willing to give in to the sweet lull of Ayame's nightly cocoa drink and just skip his outing for one night. That night, after dinner, Tetsuya decides that for once, he can allow himself a full night of sleep. He won't be of any good, if he's constantly exhausted, so Tetsuya doesn't feel half bad when he ignores the dark bundle in his wardrobe and plops right into bed after his round of exercise.

Stamina was always the factor Riko bemoaned to be the one that put the greatest limiter on his abilities. Even years of training and exercising had done little to increase his endurance, but as Kagami had put it, with an affectionate ruffle of hair, karma merely saw fit to balance his otherwise abnormal abilities. Kagami had called it 'crazy-ass-skills' and the thought of his best friend and quasi-brother and his brash and unpolished manners, brings an ever so slightly smile to Tetsuya's lips.

A smile that lasts for about a second, before he remembers their last encounter, and why Kagami likely stayed away for so long. For all his rough edges, Kagami is surprisingly fragile.

Just as though he's heard Tetsuya's thought, or maybe because fate really does play on all their strings as Midorima would have him believe, the curtains rustle in a familiar greeting.

A moment later, Kagami's dark shape drops into his room. Tetsuya feels a weight, he hadn't even realized was there, lifting from his heart.

"Kuroko?" Kagami asks tentatively into the dark. The moon is just a thin sickle in the sky and the few stars that dot the night sky aren't enough to sufficiently light the room. Tetsuya still has a rather clear image of Kagami's double-eyebrow-enhanced frown in his mind.

"Your night vision is terrible, Kagami-kun." Tetsuya can't help but point out. Predictably, Kagami startles.

"Damn it Kuroko, don't do that." Kagami curses low under his breath.

"Do what?" Tetsuya asks innocently and finally sits up.

Kagami just gives him a glare. "My night vision is fine." He says tersely, but it lasts for about two seconds, before Kagami's posture softens, as does his voice. "How are you?" The question is loaded with more than just the surface interest in his current condition.

"Good." Tetsuya says evenly. He fiddles a bit until he has lit the lamp on his nightstand table.

Kagami slumps somewhat. He doesn't meet Tetsuya's eyes in the flickering darkness of oil light, instead he fixes them on the spray of flowers Shion put on his nightstand. Daffodils, even this late in spring. "Ah…" He rubs a hand on his neck. "Look…"

Tetsuya knows what's coming, so he stops Kagami, before he can even start. "There is no reason to apologize, Kagami-kun." He says firmly.

Kagami drops his hand and looks at him, surprised. "How did you…?"

Tetsuya allows himself a fond smile. "I do know you since I was five." He reminds Kagami, whose blush is visible, even in the flickering light of the lamp.

Kagami smiles, toothy, the way his twelve year old self did when he fell from the persimmon tree he'd climbed to pluck Tetsuya some persimmons. He'd sat through the subsequent scolding and lecturing about the sacredness of persimmon trees with less than appropriate contriteness, only to produce a whole persimmon from his pockets, the moment he was alone with Tetsuya.

Eight year old Tetsuya couldn't remember anything tasting as good as that persimmon shared with his God-defying brother.

"Aida told me I owe you an apology." Kagami says somewhat sheepishly. "I…" He hesitates for a moment, eyes flickering unsteadily between Tetsuya and the rest of the room. "I told her everything."

Tetsuya merely nods. He didn't expect anything else.

Kagami's frown is unhappy. "She said it was to be expected." Kagami lifts his shoulders in a discontented, but ultimately helpless gesture. "That doesn't make it right." He ends softly, almost defensively.

"No it doesn't." Tetsuya agrees quietly. "But if it is what I had to do, then I don't have any regrets." And he would do it again, would do so much worse, if only it serves to save his niece.

Silence settles, but it's more companionable than awkward. Kagami might not like it, but he does understand the situation well enough. Riko does have that effect.

But Kagami, being Kagami can't stand the silence for long. "So how's palace life, your highness?" His grin is the tiniest fraction of forced, but he makes the effort, so Tetsuya ignores it.

"Spoiled." Tetsuya shudders.

"That bad?" Kagami drops in one of Tetsuya's chairs, sighing in content as he stretches out his limbs. "I bet you don't have to lift a finger around here. You sure you haven't forgotten how to handle a knife? Or do they feed you? Come on, you can tell me."

Tetsuya throws a pillow at his head. It misses by a wide margin and Kagami just muffles his laughter into his fist.

"I'll have you know, I am in perfectly good shape." Tetsuya informs him, suppressing a yawn. He stares at his pillow bleakly. He doesn't want to get up and fetch it, his bed is quite comfortable and warm.

"Of course you are." Kagami bends down and picks up the pillow. Instead of throwing it back, he fluffs it up and hugs it to his chest with a comfortable sigh. "Is that why you are so tired?"

Tetsuya gives him a baleful look. That's _his_ pillow. "I didn't sleep much. I was busy gathering intelligence." He yawns again.

"What did you get?" Kagami learns forward, interested.

"Well, apparently I was supposed to function as a puppet on the throne, after my family staged a coup to remove Akashi from power."

"Ah." Kagami says and blinks. "What?"

Tetsuya recounts his nightly visit to the minister of the Center's chambers and what he learned there.

Kagami's expression is a thoughtful one, when he finishes. Tetsuya watches as he rhythmically squeezes the pillow in his hands. "Do you think she intended to go through with it?"

"No." Tetsuya says flatly. "She would have never considered it. I suppose she needed to increase my value somehow." Tetsuya doesn't allow any inflection to color how he thinks about that.

Kagami isn't fooled, his face softens and he stops abusing the pillow. "She would go that far, huh?" He asks solemnly.

Tetsuya looks away. "She would have gone further." He says blankly. "She can't lay a hand on me, so someone else has to." Unwanted, his hands clench into fists.

"They're not going to kill you." Kagami sounds as though he's trying to convince himself more than Tetsuya.

"No," Tetsuya says slowly, "they won't." At least, he thinks, he can be sure of that now. "She would be so disappointed." He can't really help but add with no small amount of bitterness.

Silence settles once more. Kagami is still working through all the news and Tetsuya's tiredness is about to take its toll. There's one last thing though, before he can allow himself to fall asleep.

"How are they?" Kagami would have told him, if anything had happened, but he still worries. He still cares. Sometimes it's all that keeps him going.

Kagami smiles reassuringly. "Fine, they're fine." He thinks for a moment, then his face brightens up. "Shizuka told me to tell you she's cross with you for not being there to participate in her tea party."

Tetsuya feels a soft feeling of warmth bloom in his chest.

"She roped Kiyoshi into participating." Kagami's grin is rather amused. "She made mud cake."

Tetsuya can't help the soft chuckle that escapes him. Shizuka is very adamant about her baking, although Tetsuya can be quick enough to fool her into believing he ate her cakes. Kiyoshi's strengths lie somewhere else.

His mirth is short lived. Thinking of Kiyoshi still makes his gut clench in anger. Now his strengths have to lie somewhere entirely else.

His brother is sneaky, always was, maybe it's a family trait. But where Tetsuya is a shadow, his brother is a pitfall of pure darkness. And he always takes care to put the bait in someone else's hand. His brother had wanted to see Kiyoshi's strength for himself, so he had challenged him to a match. He wasn't the one fighting though; he never got his hands dirty. His personal guard would do just as well. _Just a practice match, there is no harm in that, right?_ That's what his brother had said.

Tetsuya's hands are clenched tightly around the sheets, something he doesn't even realize until Kagami is there and gently pries his hands open.

"It's okay Kuroko." He says and because they've always been as close as brothers, _real_ brothers, Tetsuya lets him pull him into a tight, comforting hug.

It was an accident, his brother had claimed. His guard's, blade, blunted for practice, but still, had struck Kiyoshi's knee, too hard on a bad angle. Something had been irreparably broken. Now, Kiyoshi will never be able to walk properly again, let alone fight.

_Thank goodness, we don't put down injured soldiers like we would a limping horse._ His brother's words still ring in Tetsuya's head. But he couldn't prove anything, and even if he could, Naomi would have never listened to him. She had offered compensation to Aida-san, of course she had; she still valued Seirin's services and maybe even understood how fickle the bond between the Seirin and the Teikou had become.

But his brother and his henchman had gone unpunished.

And soon after, Shirai Naomi was dead, as though the move on Kiyoshi had merely been a test to see how far his brother could go, how well honed his weapon had become.

Eventually, he loosens his grip on Kagami and sits back slightly. Kagami ruffles a hand through his hair, but thankfully doesn't say anything. Tetsuya leans against Kagami, seeking the heat that always clings to his skin, no matter what. It's a reminder as much as it is comfort, a reminder that he's not alone in this and that Kagami would walk off the earth for him, without hesitation.

Sometimes the scope of Kagami's loyalty - how far he is willing to go without even a shred of hesitation - pulls the floor right from under Tetsuya's feet.

"I should go." Kagami says eventually, but makes no move to leave. Tetsuya's eyes have fallen shut at some point and he blinks them open sluggishly. Not much time has passed, he thinks, but the light in his lamp is flickering suspiciously, as though the oil is almost gone.

He looks up at Kagami, notes the shadows under his eyes. It seems he wasn't the only one who hadn't gotten enough sleep. "Go to bed, Kagami-kun." Tetsuya sits up again, back slightly protesting at being stretched out of its cramped position.

"Sure." Kagami says drily. "I bet no one would take notice of the stranger sleeping in the bed tomorrow morning."

"I'll just tell them you're my cat." Tetsuya reclaims the pillow Kagami had brought with him and sinks down into it with a blissful sigh. Kagami is warm, but he's also hard and muscle-y and now the entire left side of his face kind of hurts from pressing against a hard surface.

Kagami's laughter drifts through the air and then there's a warm and soft hand on his head. He thinks Kagami says something else, but his mind is already drifting off and into dream land.

"I want to have noted that I think this is a terrible idea." Shintarou adjusts his spectacles and huffs, annoyed.

"Noted." Sejuro says without looking up. Shintarou huffs again.

"How certain is our source?" Reo asks, lounging against the frame of Seijuro's study door.

Seijuro finally looks up from the report he's been reading. Reo's posture is carefully relaxed, but Seijuro sees the tense line of his shoulders.

"There is no reason to worry." Seijuro says coolly. He bestows Shintarou with a side eyed glance, to leave no doubt that he's included in that statement as well.

"Everything will go as expected. I don't make mistakes."

"Of course not." Reo pushes way from the doorframe. "I'll relay the instructions. Sure you don't want any more guards?"

Seijuro turns back to the report. "That won't be necessary. Atsushi is entirely sufficient for maintaining my safety. The rest is merely to contain the situation." He notices the look that passes between Reo and Shintarou, but doesn't comment. They like to make a fuss every now and then, and occasionally Seijuro indulges them, as it seems to satisfy their inherent need to take care of him.

Today is not one of those days.

Morning comes way too soon. Tetsuya feels like he has barely slept at all when he's greeted by sunlight on his face and Ayame's cheerful morning greeting.

And since he's been way too tired lately, and still sort of is, it comes as pretty much a surprise when Sumire reminds him that today is the monthly audience day, and that he is expected to receive the petitioners at Akashi's side.

Tetsuya takes his daily bath, thinking somewhat bitterly about Kagami's words from the day before. The calluses on his hands have softened and the rough skin on his knuckles isn't nearly as hard as he would like it to be. He needs to find a way to practice and keep his hands in shape; otherwise his skills will be of little use.

"Would Kuroko-sama like ointment for his hands?" His thoughts are interrupted by Ayame, who looks down at where he's subconsciously rubbing his hands. The water has already softened his finger tips into squishy pads of skin. Even his palms are soft and pliable.

Ayame crouches down, hands still soapy from where she had worked the soap into his hair and gently takes his hands in his. The skin on his palms catches against Ayame's softer, smooth skin - the hands of a woman who never had to work a sweat in her life.

The wealth of a nation can be measured in how spoiled its servants are.

Sumire, who'd been watching over the temperature of the bathwater draws her mouth into a displeased line, but stays silent. After many fruitless attempts of reining Ayame in, Sumire seems to have accepted it. Shion is outside in his bedroom, putting together his outfit for the day.

"It can be a while, before your hands will be as smooth as a lady's." Ayame's smile is warm, but something in Tetsuya coils in tension all the same. Unheeding, Ayame's thumb rubs over the rough patches on his palms. "You worked hard, didn't you?" There is that motherly gentleness again, concern and care. It's painful as much as it is heartwarming. Sumire clears her throat, a wordless reprimand, and for once Tetsuya is glad for her strict and uptight personality.

"That won't be necessary." Tetsuya says evenly and pulls his hands from Ayame's grasp.

She seems surprised for a moment, but smiles all the same, before returning to rinsing the soap from his hair.

_I can't grow soft_, Tetsuya thinks, thumbs rubbing over his knuckles, back and forth, back and forth, as if that could bring back the hardened skin he already shed.

The robes Shion presents to him have been adjusted to his frame by the tailor, by whose behest, Tetsuya doesn't know. But they're not as heavy anymore, smaller too, so it no longer looks as though he's been swallowed by rampant fabric. The color is a compromise, a soft pastel tinged purple with trims of Imperial red. The crest of the Rakuzan is stitched neatly into his sleeves and collar, but it's mirrored by the Teikou's crest on the other side of the collar, eternal union of light and darkness in auspicious blue.

On a whim, because the crest reminds him of it, Tetsuya retrieves his fan from where he stored it on a decorative shelf. Somehow the sight makes him nostalgic. It's a simple fan, cheap materials but masterfully crafted. Still, the paper is peeling from the wood in places, and some of the color has bleached. But it reminds him of home, even if the displayed crest and his _home_ have so little in common. They may share the same space in this world, the Teikou homestead and the place he chose as his family, but they couldn't be further apart.

Such a thin thread, and all that kept it from breaking was a century old promise and Tetsuya's word.

Another whim, or maybe instinct, has him sneak the needle from his closet and hide it in the folds of his sleeve. A day like this is predestined for an assassination attempt.

Audiences are held in the court hall, the same room most of the court meetings have taken place. After breakfast, Tetsuya makes his way over to the main tract, or rather he attempts to make his way over, but he is intercepted at his door, by an unfamiliar young man. He falls right in line with the odd amount of rainbow colored hair at this place, with his orange-hued hair. He wears a somewhat ruffled looking palace uniform, although the only insignia is the Teikou crest emblazoned on his collar.

As far as first impressions go, Tetsuya is not sure what to make of this one.

The man, aside from having leftovers from his breakfast clinging to the skin around his mouth, seems to be vibrating out of his skin with so much unbridled excitement it takes Tetsuya aback. He seems to be very close to bouncing on his feet where he stands.

"Kuroko-sama!" Upon his sight, the man actually does bounce on his feet. "I'm appointed as your personal attendant for official meetings starting now. It is a pleasure to meet you." He bows, while still bouncing on his feet, somehow managing not to fall over during the whole display.

His enthusiasm could put Kise to shame and then some.

The man looks up at him expectantly, and as Tetsuya fails to deliver any kind of response, his face falls. "Uh." He says; his brows draw down into a dejected frown.

Tetsuya takes pity. "I am pleased to meet you…?" He tries to make the question mark tagged to the end of his sentence as obvious possible, but he doubts he's made a very good job of it, as the man lights up and bows again, back to overly enthusiastic puppy in no time, but fails to offer his name.

"Your name." Tetsuya prompts.

The guards, standing silent watch at his door make a less than valiant attempt at hiding their amusement, which entirely goes over the man's head.

The man's face falls again. "Oh. I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?" Just as Tetsuya thinks he couldn't have ended up with a worse choice for his attendant, the man visibly draws himself together. "I ask your forgiveness milord" He says, much more formal now. "I tend to allow myself to get carried away too easily, please forgive my rudeness." He bows again, this time slower and with much more decorum. "My name is Ogiwara Shigehiro and I hereby report for duty as your attendant." This time, his smile is measured and polite, yet he can't hide the twinkle in his eyes. The effect is somewhat hindered by the few crumbs of food, clinging stubbornly to Ogiwara's face.

"I have food on my face, haven't I?" Tetsuya thinks he'd been subtle, but Ogiwara must have caught his eyes flicking between his eyes and mouth. "That happens a lot to me." He grins sheepishly, while rubbing his mouth. "I'm a bit of a messy eater."

Ogiwara tags along when Tetsuya makes his way to the meeting hall. This time the room is almost empty, safe for the ministers of Civil Services, Taxation, Justice and the Imperial Household and their attendants. Akashi hasn't arrived yet, and judging by the presence of the two attendants of the Chancellor, Fujiwara can expected be to arrive any time soon.

Tetsuya exchanges polite greetings with Shirogane Eiji, the minister of Civil Services. Oshiro Masanori, the minister of Justice greets him with a nod, while Watanabe Jun, the minister of the Imperial Hosuehold ignores him. Nakano Arata's eyes follow him all the way to his seat, oddly intense and faintly expectant. Normally Tetsuya would pay it little mind, but with what he's overheard just recently, it sets his teeth on edge.

Tetsuya has barely taken his seat when the small side door opens again and Akashi walks in, followed by Murasakibara and Chancellor Fujiwara. The attendants bow as they pass, but Akashi pays them all no mind. He acknowledges Tetsuya barely with a nod, before he signals the two attendants waiting at the front doors to open.

Outside is the busy bustling of the main hall and Tetsuya can just make out a line of petitioners waiting for their chance to talk to their Emperor. One of the attendants calls out something and there's a flash of pink when Momoi whizzes past to herd in the first petitioner. A man shuffles forward, hands clasped in front of him as he makes his way past the ministers to speak in front of Akashi.

His clothes stick out among the expensive silk and velvet surrounding him. They're not bad clothes, but they look worn and mended more than a few times. He falls to his knees in front of their table, forehead pressed to the ground and remains like that until Akashi's cool voice breaks the silence.

"Kneeling is not necessary. State your business."

The man does, telling of a wolf or mountain cat that haunts his village, leaving sheep's carcasses in its wake. Humans haven't fallen victim yet, but the man fears for the children's safety. Akashi listens quietly and then offers to send a party of huntsmen with the man to take care of the problem. The man bows again, less nervous and with obvious relief, and leaves after barely two minutes of conversation.

It continues in that manner. Most petitioners have rather small problems, wild animals, disputes over land, a broken dam that needs repair, petitions to raise the fishing quota - problems that are solved with a few words and a promise.

The mayor of a small mountain village begs for their tax levy to be postponed as a thunderstorm has wrecked havoc on all their crops. It will be some time until the newly planted summer crops will have grown to make up for the loss of spring.

Another village is raided by mountain bandits and seeks military assistance.

A trader, a wealthy merchant dressed even more expensively than Akashi's court, begs for Akashi's permission on purchasing a trading license for foreign goods, promising wealth and riches in return.

Tetsuya sits and listens quietly. Ogiwara has handed him ink and quill and a stack of expensive paper to write on, if he needs to, but so far nothing important has occurred. Akashi handles everything, sometimes relegating cases to his ministers, but mostly he makes the decisions.

And as the day progresses, Tetsuya's first impression of the inner court relations solidifies. Chancellor Fujiwara speaks up a few times, offering his counsel unprompted. Akashi seems to put great trust into the man's words, as he almost always follows his advice.

Occasionally, Akashi addresses Shirogane, when a case pertains his responsibility, sometimes he prompts Oshiro on questions of the law. But never, not even once, does he address Watanabe or Nakano. Even when the mayor asks for tax relief, and Nakano starts fidgeting obviously in his chair, Akashi ignores him entirely.

They break for lunch, a short and taciturn affair served by two kitchen servants, while the still waiting petitioners are treated outside to the same. The air is quite stuffy and Tetsuya is grateful he brought his fan; he's even more grateful for the fact that his position is tied to female traditions and no one can take offense when he hides his face behind the thin paper of his family crest.

They resume after lunch, the line outside barely seemed to have gotten shorter and Tetsuya notices in more than one of the court members the quite annoyance that comes with being stuck to a boring task. Even Nakano, who'd been rather tense the whole morning, seems to have given in to the late spring heat.

Still, or rather because of that, Tetsuya's senses are on edge and he scrutinizes every new petitioner with a careful eye. Something seems off, but he can't exactly place his finger on what.

They are interrupted a short while later by Midorima who walks in, hands Akashi a few documents and then leaves again, all without acknowledging anyone in the room, except Akashi. Midorima, as it turns out when Tetsuya turns to look to the still open side door, has come with Suzuki Jurou in tow, and in that moment, when everyone is distracted by Midorima's appearance, something passes between Suzuki and Nakano. It's subtle, just a look that lingers a moment too long, but the uneasy feeling in Tetsuya's gut flares in warning.

He's been watching people all his life, so he doesn't miss the subtle shifts in Nakano's posture. He still looks as lethargic and disinterested as before, but now that's only on the surface. There's the barely perceptible twitch of his index finger against the table surface, the arrhythmic tensing of his jaw when he thinks no one is looking.

Nakano is waiting for something.

Tetsuya shifts in his seat, ostensibly to stretch his cramped muscles but in actuality he braces himself for combat. He has no idea what will happen, or if anything will happen, but as Riko has pounded into him on more than one occasion, it always pays to be prepared. And while someone attacking Akashi in his sleep is a very viable option - one that Tetsuya could have easily tried himself, but could have done nothing to prevent - it hasn't happened.

Ogiwara fidgets behind him, something he's done frequently, but with his senses now on high alert, it's become diistracting. Akashi next to him is relaxed as ever, as he listens to a worn out woman who claims her daughter's honor has been besmirched by a nobleman who now refuses to marry her.

Tetsuya only listens with half an ear as he is waiting for something to happen. It's unlikely that the attack will come from inside the room, there had been plenty of chances already, but none of the petitioners that come in seem to be interested in anything else than their own problems. Still, Tetsuya waits.

But ultimately, nothing happens. The woman shuffles out, clutching a stained handkerchief in her hands but appeased all the same that justice will be done, trading places with the next petitioner. It goes on and Tetsuya's skin is prickling with warning, but nothing happens.

Nakano's impatience doesn't settle either and it serves to keep Tetsuya on edge. At least he's subtle enough about it that no one notices, but it's of little comfort.

The worst is, he's sure that something is about to go down, but as the minutes pass by, the tension coils tighter and tighter, without any relief in sight.

Eventually, Akashi wraps up the day, sending the remaining petitioners home to come back next time. Tetsuya remembers what Kise told him on the day he showed him around. It seems to be true. There had been some pressing issues that couldn't have waited much longer, bandits, a dam about to break after spring flooding, an unknown illness ravaging the coast settlements in the East, and now as he carefully watches the petitioners still waiting outside, none of them seems particularly upset at being sent home. No begging and screaming to be heard, no issue seeming pressing enough to pick a fight.

The atmosphere, if anything, is jovial.

It makes him feel all the more stupid for feeling this on edge the whole time. Everything seems to be fine. But Tetsuya has learned to trust his instincts above anything else, so he keeps his eyes open and his stance loose and ready, while they make their way out the court hall.

Ogiwara touches his arm gently, and Tetsuya just barely manages to catch his reflex before he lands his hand on Ogiwara's throat. If Ogiwara notices the aborted movement, he doesn't show it.

"Tonight we will be receiving an honored guest from Cathay. Kuroko-sama is expected to attend." Tetsuya isn't exactly sure if he was supposed to know that beforehand, or if he'd just failed to remember yet another important point on his schedule thanks to lack of sleep.

"I… uh... was supposed to tell you that earlier, but I was too excited to finally meet Kuroko-sama." Ogiwara confesses, eyes darting here and there. "I'm sorry." He adds, somewhat belatedly.

Akashi has already left, without waiting for Tetsuya to catch up. Tetsuya can't see him anywhere in the main hall and concludes he must have already gone ahead.

"I have a guest list." Ogiwara pats down his uniform pockets, frowning as he looks for the aforementioned list. Tetsuya doesn't wait for him to find it, but makes his way through the main hall and to the great banquet hall, where the wedding feast was held.

"Kuroko-sama, wait." Ogiwara rushes after him, a crumpled looking scroll of parchment in hands and waving frantically with it to get his attention. "That's the wrong direction. The feast will be held somewhere else." He holds out the scroll with an expectant grin.

Tetsuya tilts his head. "I imagine the names will bear little resemblance in my mind, would you be so kind and point out important people to me later?" He asks politely. Ogiwara is stunned for a moment, mouth hanging half open, before his whole face lights up in delight.

"Of course. It is my pleasure to be of use to Kuroko-sama."

Ogiwara leads him down a corridor, hurrying along, as the end of the audience session and the beginning of the banquet have been cut rather close together.

"Chengyi-sama has arrived earlier than expected, but Akashi-dono has been adamant about not rescheduling the audience." Ogiwara explains while they rush through the corridors. "As a result the banquet starts right after the audiences are done."

Ogiwara leads him to a small hidden door, leading to a small room adjacent to one of the smaller dining halls scattered all throughout the palace. Inside, Akashi is surrounded by three servants who quickly change his clothes, while giving orders to his guards. Another servant is off to the side, adjusting the Imperial guards' uniforms. Momoi is in the center of it all, barking orders left and right, unheeding of the Emperor's presence right at her side.

Ayame and Shion rush to his side, while Momoi rattles down some information on their foreign guest. Unlike most of the ambassadors Akashi has received since Tetsuya's arrival, Prince Chengyi Hua Gong is an important ally to the Rakuzan. He is also the heir to Cathay's throne and while Akashi's power base isn't likely to be threatened by another country, he does rely on good neighborly relations for trade. And Cathay is the Empire's main source for silk, porcelain and jade, among other things.

He's stripped out of his formal court robes quickly, while Shion unfolds a flowing robe in steely blue, complicit to Akashi's similarly cut robe of red brocade. Akashi's is adorned by a phoenix, winding its way up his torso, born from flames that line the seams. The wings are spread open and cover Akashi's shoulders like a mantle. Tetsuya's is much subtler in comparison, azaleas entwined with a flock of birds.

Akashi is crowned by a heavy gold piece, a dragon winding itself around his forehead, rubies for eyes, head proudly raised to look down on his subjects. Tetsuya gets a thin silver circlet, a ring of lilies woven around the thin body of a sea serpent.

It's the first time that Tetsuya sees the Imperial regalia. Chengyi truly must be an important person.

"We're good." Momoi steps back after adjusting Tetsuya's crown, checking one last time if his robes fall right, before giving a short wave to a servant waiting at the door.

"Tetsuya." Akashi's voice is calm and he makes an inviting gesture with his hand. Tetsuya steps up next to him, face cast downward and hands clasped together in front of him. He had to surrender his fan, but the needle is safely pinned in the inside of his flowing right sleeve. He notices the obvious absence of weapons on the Imperial guard as they fall in place around them.

"Look ahead. Today, you are my Queen." Akashi doesn't look at him, nor is his voice any differend than usual. But oddly enough, something flips in Tetsuya's chest at the words.

It's almost too natural how he falls in step besides Akashi, perfectly harmonious in their cadence, as they walk to the small shoji door that separates them from the main dining hall.

Unlike all the other dining rooms Tetsuya has seen so far, this one is held in traditional pre-Imperial style. The floors are covered with tatami mats and the walls, although reinforced with wood to ascertain privacy, are made from shoji framework.

Most of the guests are already seated at their respective tables. The room is overlooked by one larger long table at one side, with its mirror at the other side of the room, the lines of guest tables stretching in between. A few palace guards line the walls, ceremonial uniforms and no weapons.

Akashi's hand brushes his elbow, just faintly, but Tetsuya follows the lead without thinking; walking down the line of bowing guests - nobles, officials and dignitaries - who press their foreheads against the smooth surface of the tables in front of them. Akashi falls to his knees with exceptional grace, robes settling around him in a perfect fold of rustling fabric. Tetsuya shadows him moments later, folding his hands in his lap, but keeping his head high as per Akashi's instructions.

The table on the other end of the room is still empty.

Tetsuya recognizes the ministers and many of the other officials that attended the various meetings he participated in. Some of the nobles he sees for the first time, although he has an inkling they'd been present during the wedding banquet, but for once he can't quite remember.

They are served by a string of artfully dressed women, in whom Tetsuya recognizes some of the court ladies. The moment he and Akashi had taken their seats, a woman slid in place next to him, a flask of warm sake in her hands, ready to serve.

Next to Tetsuya's personal servant - the young daughter of Lord Yamamoto, if he remembers correctly - sit Aomine and Kise, the former unusual attentive for his normally bored demeanor. Kise on the other hand seems to be in his natural element, already charming the girl that's been ordered to serve them. Next to Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara have taken their places. Midorima is as stiff as ever, and keeps whispering into Akashi's ear, while Murasakibara looks as though he's a fraction away from falling asleep.

Both Tetsuya's personal attendants, Ogiwara and Mayuzumi, kneel a distance behind them, providing assistance if necessary.

The large two-framed doors of the main entrance slide open. A man in the uniform of the Imperial couriers steps through and bows. "His Imperial Majesty, Prince Chengyi Hua Gong of the Feng dynasty." He announces with a clear voice, before stepping aside.

The crown prince of Cathay strikes an imposing figure in his elaborate multilayered robes and head adorned with a lacquered head piece of a finely carved sparrow. He's surrounded by a throng of people who keep whispering in his ears, even as he makes his way to his seat opposite Akashi and Tetsuya. All of them have their faces covered with a thin white veil that only leaves the eyes open. Ogiwara whispers to him that it is customary in Cathay to hide one's face in the presence of a higher being.

"Chengyi." Akashi inclines his head in greeting, once the prince has seated himself.

"Seijuro" Chengyi acknowledges with an equally measured nod.

It seems to be some kind of signal, because the female servants all start moving at once, pouring sake and serving plates with fish, vegetables and rice, all artfully arranged in small portions. Tetsuya listens attentively as Akashi and Chengyi trade conversation back and forth during the meal. It's nondescript on the surface, but Tetsuya can't shake the feeling that something else is passed between the two men, something that stirs right under the surface of the otherwise pleasant conversation.

"Congratulations on your betrothal." Chengyi's eyes flicker to Tetsuya for the fraction of a second. His mouth is quirked slightly, in some form of perpetual smile. It does not reach his eyes.

Akashi accepts the words with another graceful nod. He holds out his cup for his servant to refill, while watching Chengyi with an expression carefully balanced between thoughtful and amused. "I have heard you've been finally engaged to dear Ling-Yan?" The question mark tagged to the end of his sentence seems perfunctorily, as Akashi leaves no doubt that he isn't guessing, he _knows_.

"Ahhh, princess Ling-Yan of the Ran." Chengyi swirls the sake in his cup with a soft motion. "A woman as rare as fine wine." His perpetual smile morphs into a smirk for a moment before he drinks some from his cup. "An esteemed line, the Ran. But ultimately, mundane."

Akashi tilts his head. "The simplicity of the mundane can be refreshing. I suppose _you_ would know of that." There's poison in each of Chengyi's words, honeyed and deadly. But Akashi matches him beat for beat. Tetsuya feels his skin crawl with it.

Chengyi laughs. The sound is like the slides of rocks down a steep hill, chafing and ultimately dangerous. "Oh I _do _ know the pleasure of the mundane. I have dipped my petals in it quite a few times."

He clicks his chop sticks together, before picking up a piece of his fish. Sauce drips from his chin, but Chengyi doesn't seem perturbed. One of his attendants wipes it off with a napkin. "But that's just the difference, between us." Chengyi's eyes carry a malicious glint that is matched by the strange vertical tilt of Akashi's left pupil. "I dip, whereas you _root_? Ah, but it never is that easy now, is it?"

Tetsuya can taste the tension in the air on his tongue.

"Hard soil makes for strong plants." Akashi says, voice deceptively calm.

"Words are a slippery thing, aren't they? Your people always had a heart for poetry, do they not? An odd choice, if ever I saw one. What is that game your people are so fond of? One hundred poets? I do see the merits of shogi, I have a taste for it myself, but _poetry_?" He laughs again, the sound sharp and grating.

Tetsuya doesn't dare to look at Akashi. Something tells him that it would be inadvertently dangerous to do so. Instead he levels his eyes on Chengyi, at the cruel lines around his mouth and eyes as he keeps his eyes on Akashi like a snake that has trapped its target.

Akashi picks up his sake cup with a measured gesture. A chill chases down Tetsuya's spine. "The merit of a person can be tested quite easily with a game of karuta." Akashi's voice is cold. "But your mind never was your greatest weapon." Unlike Chengyi, Akashi doesn't phrase it as a question.

The room seems to hold their collective breath. It's as close to an open insult as any of the conversation has come so far, and Tetsuya has absolutely no idea how Chengyi will react. Neither does anyone else, it seems.

And oddly enough, Tetsuya finds himself thinking of what Nakajima had said about karuta. _A game of wits_.

"The same can be said of shogi, of course" Akashi doesn't betray any of the tension currently permeating the room.

Chengyi laughs. It's not the grating sound from before, but a loud, belly shaking affair that has him sway in his seat. "So maybe you should challenge me to a game then?" He asks, strange glint in eyes, and Tetsuya realizes that the laugh is merely a distraction; the danger is far from gone.

"To what avail?" Akashi sounds bored now. Tetsuya can't tell if it's real or just a façade. "I always win. The outcome is already determined."

Chengyi smirks. "Victory as a prerequisite for supremacy. I see you still hold on to your…" His eyes seem to flash with something for a moment, an emotion Tetsuya could not name. "_mundane_ beliefs."

It's so quiet one could hear a needle fall to the ground.

"The weak need an excuse for their weakness." Akashi says, sounding as disinterested as before. But this time, Tetsuya can make out the faintest trace of tension in his voice. "I am absolute, therefore I am always right." For some indiscernible reason - and right now not pressing enough to ponder about - Imayoshi is trying very hard not to laugh.

Akashi puts down his cup and _looks_ at Chengyi. Tetsuya doesn't need to see it himself to know exactly how his eyes look right now. Cold and piercing, until the very soul lays bare. "Tell me, have you clipped your bird's wings yet?"

Chengyi measures Akashi for a moment, before his trademark smile is back in place. "Of course. She isn't an ordinary bird after all." For an instance, his smiles turns sharp. "It would do no good if my clever little swallow flew away. I presume you are familiar with the sentiment by now." This time, the smile is openly hostile.

"Unlikely." Akashi says dismissively. "I have no use for the mindless flutter of a bird."

Chengyi's eyes glitter with something sharp and dangerous. "But that is the beauty of a bird with clipped wings. They don't flutter." Chengyi's eyes flicker to Tetsuya, but this time, when their gazes meet, Tetsuya holds it. He has seen glimpses of Akashi's darkness, he has seen the depth of his own lingering darkness, but both pale in comparison to the void he sees in Chengyi's soulless eyes. For a moment it feels like Tetsuya is sucked into the void.

It lasts only for a moment, before Chengyi pulls his attention back to Akashi.

Akashi's eyes are trained on his guest, but he has yet to reply. Chengyi's lips curl again, cold and sharp and triumphant above all. "Of course." He throws back the rest of his sake cup with a flourish. „There is no place in your mind for unearthly things. Isn't that right wisteria child?"

Midorima next to them makes an aborted movement, reaching out and then stopping, right as Akashi affects a smile one could call gentle, weren't it for the sharp, dangerous glint in Akashi's eyes - pupils shifted into a vertical tilt. "If the only status you can invoke is one granted by the fickle will of gods, how brittle your grasp on power must be. I wonder… how does it feel to fight for every scrap with your brothers?"

The air seems several degrees colder all of a sudden. Tetsuya can feel the tension prickle on his skin like air before a thunderstorm. Only the tension building seems less explosive, than _consuming_. Like everything will be sucked into the void that will inevitably open when these two men clash.

There is the very real sensation of terror settling in Tetsuya's belly.

And just when he thinks they two of them are going to collide, Fujiwara speaks up. "Now, now, let's talk about something else, shall we?"

Chengyi's smile is pleasant but laced with poison. "Of course." The glint in Akashi's eyes subsides.

There is not a sliver of doubt in Tetsuya's mind that whatever crisis Fujiwara just averted, it would have been Chengyi who would have paid for it. Akashi's face is unreadable.

Dinner continues under the umbrella of mindless chatter among the guests, but no one can quite forget the earlier tension. Glances fly from Chengyi to Akashi and back, but whatever went down between the two of them, seems to be forgotten for now.

Ogiwara quietly explains the current status of their relations to Cathay, adding in tidbits of information of the men surrounding prince Chengyi. He has little to offer however about the man himself.

Tetsuya has almost forgotten about his earlier bad feeling. Chengyi's presence had overshadowed his worries with more pressing issues. He had tried, halfheartedly, to keep an eye out on Nakano and Suzuki, but they had done little to award suspicion so far. And it wasn't easy to keep his focus when he was still battling with exhaustion, especially after the long day he just had. He still hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Chengyi's attendants had stayed mostly by his side during the meal, but occasionally one would leave his side to fetch him something. None of the court ladies had been allowed close. By now the strict sitting arrangement has loosened up and people have traded places to talk with friends or other visitors; there is a constant coming and going.

He watches idly as one of Chengyi's attendants leaves his side, empty flask in hand to fetch some more sake from the burner at the side of the room. Tetsuya's mind is a bit sluggish, as he's busy fighting the constant yawns that threaten to rise from his throat, so it takes a moment for it to settle in that there is a filled bottle of sake right in the hands of one of Chengyi's other servants.

Abruptly, his exhaustion is gone.

The man weaves through the bustling servants and court ladies, face hidden by his veil and nothing hints at his intention being anything else but getting sake.

But Tetsuya has grown up around people who tread a way dangerous plaster than a court banquet.

The man bumps into one of the ladies walking past, turning half to apologize with a bow. The action, and it wasn't anything but that - intent can only be masked so far - has brought him to face Akashi, who's currently engaged in a discussion with one of the dignitaries that had come with Chengyi.

There's a split second where neither Tetsuya nor the man move, but then the man shakes his sleeve to reveal a long thin knife. The empty bottle drops to the ground as the man surges forward. At that point, Tetsuya is already moving.

Something happens when he's entering a fight. Time seems to slow marginally, his focus sharpens on his target, while his peripheral perception widens, until every detail, every little thing that happens around him, filters through to his mind. It always comes with a surreptitious temptation, a pull to give in to the darkness residing in his heart. If he ever does give in, Tetsuya has no doubt he'll lose more than just his soul.

He catches various movements from the corner of his eyes, of which only one sticks truly out. A flash of purple, gray and metal, as Murasakibara reacts to the threat, but by then Tetsuya already has intercepted the man. He's good, he sees him coming and dodges his initial attack, but Tetsuya reads through him as easily as it were a book, blocking the following attack with a jab to the man's wrist, locking the joint so that the man has to drop his weapon.

The man grunts but brings up his other fist for a punch that Tetsuya dodges by dropping under the attacker's reach. He hooks his foot behind the man's ankle and pulls. He comes down hard, one hand all but useless and the other flailing as he attempts to regain balance, but another kick to the man's knee seals his fate. Tetsuya follows, digs a knee in the man's back. Robes settling around them in a soft flutter of fabric.

The needle Tetsuya has pulled from his sleeve is pressed against the nape of the man's neck, insistent enough to remind him of the consequences of resisting.

The whole thing takes less than five seconds. The entire room is bathed in shocked silence.

Tetsuya's breath in calm measured puffs of air, as the world slowly shifts back to its normal flow.

"Look at that, your little swallow has its own set of claws." Chengyi, of course, has no regard for the gravity of the situation.

* * *

><p><strong>* shoji <strong>_In traditional Japanese architecture, a shōji (__障子__?) is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo_

*****Chengyi Hua Gong is a literal translation of Makoto Hanamiya's name into Chinese.  
>Ling-Yan means clever swallow.<p>

*Cathay = alternate name for China


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